


That Man Hates Me

by Solo_la_Luna



Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst and Smut, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:20:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 41
Words: 58,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25782019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Solo_la_Luna/pseuds/Solo_la_Luna
Summary: (Y/N) and Jack have been friends for as long as either of them could remember. Then, the war happened. Jack grew distant, and their relationship remained at a rough patch. That is, until Jack got shot. Jack decided that (Y/N), being the only person he trusted, should help him solve the case. They grow closer, facing up's and down's as they try to figure the case out.
Relationships: Jack Thompson (Marvel)/Reader, Peggy Carter/Daniel Sousa
Comments: 5
Kudos: 23





	1. He Hated Her

“Chief Thompson,” (Y/N) called out as she walked into the bullpen. “Doctor Samberly changed his dinner order to something a little more complicated. Here, he’s written it down.”

“Yes, Agent (L/N), place it on the table,” Jack said, obviously distracted. (Y/N) placed Samberly’s complicated order on the table. She looked up at Jack, to see that he was already looking at her. He held the Arena Club pin up, and (Y/N)’s eyes widened. “What do you know about this, Agent?”

“This is the Arena Club pin. Dottie Underwood tried stealing it, when we caught her,” (Y/N) said.

“Did you know it was a key?” Jack asked, making (Y/N) shake her head.

“No, I did not.”

“Vernon Masters left it behind. Along with a file. It’s mostly redacted,” Jack said, holding the file up. “I’ll hold onto these. I just thought you’d know a little about the Arena Club Pin.”

“Well, I’m sorry, I don’t. When I began my investigation, someone transferred me to Los Angeles,” (Y/N) said, passive aggressively. “Chief, you probably shouldn’t hold onto both of them. It’ll get too easy for someone who’s targeting them.”

“You’re probably right,” Jack said. He handed (Y/N) the Arena Club Pin. “You hold onto the pin. I’ll hold onto the file.”

“I-Chief, I didn’t mean myself.”

“I know we don’t see eye-to-eye, Agent, but you’re one of the few people I trust.”

—

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I think I’ll spend a little while more in the West.”

“Sure. I’ll call you when the Chief and I reach New York. I’m almost done packing.”

“Sure thing,” Peggy said before she hung the call. (Y/N) sighed, sitting down at the edge of the bed, thinking. About Jack. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a gunshot. The gun surely had an anti-knocker, because she didn’t hear it loud enough. Her eyes widened as she realized something. Jack and herself were two of the only three people who currently had a room at the hotel. It wasn’t Jack. It couldn’t be Jack. She grabbed her gun and made her way towards the door. She peeked out, to see a man running away with a file in his hand. The file Jack was holding onto. The man probably heard her door open, because he suddenly increased his speed. (Y/N) shot twice, but missed both times. She cursed to herself. She then took a tentative step forward, and was greeted by the dreadful scene.

The door to Jack’s hotel room was open, and there he lay, too still for (Y/N)’s liking. She took a step towards him. The bullet had been just inches away from fatal. If she didn’t do something quick, he would…(Y/N) didn’t want to think about it.

She turned him over, so that his wound was facing upwards, which slightly slowed the bleeding. She then ran to the telephone and called an ambulance. She then ran back to Jack. He always kept a first-aid kit handy. She quickly picked it up and took a deep breath. She’d only removed a bullet from a body once. She didn’t want to increase the damage. But if she didn’t do anything…she probably wouldn’t see him again.

—

(Y/N) sat down beside Jack. She didn’t care that she was sitting on the floor, or that the door was open, or that her hands were covered in blood. Only that her best friend was beside her, bleeding to his death. She had lessened the bleeding and extracted the bullet, but he needed proper medical attention. Where was the ambulance? It had been ten minutes. She could feel tears building up. But she wouldn’t cry. (Y/N) meant nothing to Jack. Why would she cry?

But, how could she not? This man meant everything to her. Who was she kidding? She didn’t have a single childhood memory that didn’t involve him.

Tears streamed down her face as she looked at him. He couldn’t die. He couldn’t leave her. She crawled towards him and cupped his jaw in her hand.

“Jack, please don’t do this. I don’t know what I’ll do with myself if you-if you died,” (Y/N) managed to say between sobs. “Now would be a great time for you to wake up and tease me about crying so much.”

—

“(Y/N),” Peggy shouted, without a care in the world, about everyone else, as she entered the hospital, with Daniel following her, looking like a loyal but lost puppy following its master. At any other given time, (Y/N) would have laughed. Instead, she just looked at Peggy, as she ran up to her. As soon as Peggy was close enough, (Y/N) hugged her, and burst into sobs again. Peggy and Daniel both tried calming her down, but to no avail.

A nurse made her way towards Jack’s room. Peggy stopped her.

“When can we see him?” she asked the nurse, subtly pointing to you and your frantic state as a message of ‘she needs good news.’

“I can’t say,” the nurse said, not getting the message. “His state is very critical.”

Hearing this, (Y/N) panicked even more, if that was physically possible. She started sobbing louder, even getting a few looks from people around. She thought about all the time she’d spent with him. He couldn’t throw that all away and just…die like that. He hated her…but he couldn’t do this. He wasn’t so cruel.

“This is my fault,” (Y/N) said.

“No. It absolutely isn’t,” Peggy said, genuinely mad that (Y/N) would think that.

“Why would you say that?” Daniel said, not wanting (Y/N) to blame herself.

“Whoever shot him was looking for that redacted file he found in Vernon’s briefcase. I suggested that he hold onto the file and I hold onto the Pin. If I’d held onto the file, he wouldn’t have been shot.”

“Nonsense, (Y/N).”

“They didn’t know which one of you had the pin and which one had the file. Hell, we didn’t know that,” Daniel scolded. “It was just pure luck. If you had the file, then they would’ve shot you too.”

“And you would both be dead meat,” Peggy added.

(Y/N) kept sobbing, still convinced that it was her mistake.

_“Jack, who do you think will die first? You or me?”_

_“Well…I’ll join the navy when I get older,” Jack said._

_“You?” an annoyingly high-pitched voice cut in. “You won’t be able to do anything in life, Thompson.”_

_Mary Watson was the need who was painfully unaware of how much everyone hated her._

_“Jack. Leave her be. She’s not worth it,” (Y/N) said, as she pulled Jack away from Watson. “So…”_

_“Well, I’ll join the navy when I grow up. But I can guarantee you that I will not die.”_

_“How can you be so sure?”_

_“I just am that awesome.”_

_“Oh, please,” (Y/N) rolled her eyes. “So…you’re saying I’ll be the first one to die?”_

_“Yeah. Totally,” Jack said. “You’re just so clumsy. You’ll probably fall off a building. And your immune system. Let’s not talk about it. You just got from your…let’s see…third fever this season.”_

_“Shut up,” (Y/N) said. “I’m not joining the navy…so you’ll definitely die first.”_

_“I bet my ass, I won’t.”_

Jack would wake up. If nothing, then just to prove (Y/N) wrong. He would do that. Totally.

“Who does he think he is?” (Y/N) yelled. “He is a Navy Cross winner. He can’t just die like this.”

—

Peggy and Daniel were still trying to calm (Y/N) down. A few minutes later, a nurse walked out of Jack’s room, towards (Y/N), Peggy and Daniel.

“He’s awake. You can see him now.” (Y/N) sighed, as a few more tears spilled down her face. She quickly wiped them away. She smiled at the nurse.

“Thank you,” she said, before hugging Peggy and Daniel, as all three of them made their way towards Jack’s room. They walked in, to see Jack lying on the bed, looking at the doctor with an uninterested expression. The doctor noticed them.

“Which one of you is (Y/N) (L/N)?” the doctor asked. (Y/N) raised her hand. The doctor turned back to Jack. “Well…you gotta thank this young lady here. If she hadn’t worked her magic before we arrived, you wouldn’t be here now.”

“Agent (L/N),” Jack nodded at (Y/N).

“Chief Thompson,” she nodded back, waiting for him to say something. He didn’t. Even the doctor looking a little weirded out. “I’ll leave now.”

(Y/N) quickly made her way out. Daniel tried to stop her but she side-stepped him. This was it. The truth. No matter what their history was, Jack didn’t care about her. At all.

She hailed a cab and made her way back to the hotel to grab her luggage. As she looked out at the passing scenery, tears built up in her eyes.

He hated her.


	2. Cheeri-Oats

“WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?” Peggy yelled. The doctor slowly walked out of the room, wanting to avoid the awkward conversation about to take place. Unfortunately for Daniel, he didn’t want to direct Peggy’s wrath towards himself, so he stood stock still. “SHE SAVED YOUR LIFE. NOT EVEN A THANK YOU?”

“I didn’t ask her to,” Jack simply said.

“YOU INSUFFERABLE IDIOT,” Peggy yelled, before walking out of the hospital room. Daniel gave Jack a disappointed look, before following like an obedient puppy. Everyone is an obedient puppy when Peggy Carter is angry.

—

“Mister Thompson,” the nurse interrupted Jack’s trail of thoughts. Jack felt a little frustrated. He was finally beginning to realize how mean he had been to (Y/N). “There’s someone here to see you.”

“Who is it?”

“Uh-the woman who was there with you yesterday, after you woke up,” the nurse said. Jack groaned. What was Marge gonna do, now? Give him another lecture? “Shall I send her in?”

“Yes, please,” Jack said. The nurse exited his room. A few minutes later, a (H/C) haired girl walked in. Jack’s eyes widened. He didn’t expect (Y/N) to look him directly in the eye for another week or so. He never thought she would be the one visiting him in his hospital bed. She couldn’t possibly…reciprocate, could she?

“Chief Thompson,” she greeted, as she set both her and his bag, which he thought had been stolen when he was shot, down and took her seat beside Jack. Jack sat up.

“What are you doing here?” Jack tried to sound polite. He really did. But, it just came out so rude.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be on my way in no more than ten minutes,” she said. Jack cursed himself. “Since you are now bedridden for two weeks, someone needs to work.”

“Oh,” Jack said, slightly disappointed. She didn’t reciprocate. “I appreciate it, Agent (L/N). I truly do.”

“I need you to tell me whatever you remember,” (Y/N) said, pulling a pen and notepad out of her handbag. She opened it to a page. At the top it said ‘(Y/N) (L/N)’ and a few pointers, written in a handwriting he didn’t even try to read. Below it, she wrote ‘Jack Thompson.’

“You wrote that, didn’t you?” Jack joked. “Your handwriting is still so small, it physically hurts me to try to read it.”

“Then don’t,” (Y/N) replied, shortly, with a hint of a snap in her tone. Jack looked down at his lap. He messed up. Again.

“I really don’t know. I just opened the door and a man shot me. I didn’t see his face. Nothing. I just blacked out.”

“Alright,” (Y/N) said, trying not to get frustrated. “Did you read the file that was stolen?”

“A file was stolen?”

“Yeah. The one you took from Vernon Masters.”

“No. It couldn’t have been stolen,” Jack said, sitting up, straighter. (Y/N) raised a brow at him. ‘What makes you so sure?’ was what the expression meant. “I didn’t have that file in my bag.”

“What?”

“Yes. I hid it somewhere else,” Jack informed.

“But the man knew what he was doing. And I saw him take the file.”

“What?”

“What?”

“That was another file,” Jack said, sighing. “That was the file I had on Marge.”

“Why would you have a file on Peggy?”

“That’s a long story.”

“Alright! Where did you hide the other file?” (Y/N) asked.

“I can’t tell you,” Jack said. (Y/N) made a ‘Is that what’s happening now?’ expression. “Uh-no. I didn’t mean it like that.”

“No, chief, I get it.”

“No. Wh-”

“I understand. I really do.”

“Would you liste-”

“I don’t need an explanation, sir.”

“LISTEN TO ME, GOD DAMMIT!” Jack yelled, making (Y/N) shut up and look at him. “God, you’re insufferable. What I meant was-I can’t tell you. I’ll need to show you.”

“Oh,” (Y/N) ignored the part where he called her insufferable. “But, chief, we can’t wait for the trail to go cold.”

“Then get me out of this place,” Jack demanded.

“The doctor has said you can’t leave for a we-”

“We’re federal agents, (L/N). I don’t know how, just get me out.” (Y/N) sighed. Still the stubborn bastard.

“I’ll see what I can do,” (Y/N) said, as she got up.

“Hey, and-uh,” Jack stuttered. (Y/N) turned around to look at him. “I’m sorry about yesterday.”

Her gaze turned completely cold. She turned around.

“Save your breath,” she muttered. “That will be all, Chief Thompson.”

“Thank you for your dedication, Agent (L/N).” (Y/N) nodded in acknowledgement. She then rushed out of the room, into the hallway. She leaned against the wall. She took a few deep breaths, as a few tears rolled down her face. (Y/N) and Jack used to be so effortless. Now…well everyone knew what they had become, now. (Y/N) took a few minutes. Then, she composed herself, before she started making her way out of the hospital. (Y/N) walked towards the car. Edwin Jarvis, who had agreed to assist (Y/N), sat in the driver’s seat.

“To the SSR, Miss (L/N)?”

“Yes, Mister Jarvis,” she replied to the kind butler. “Or…on second thought, where is the nearest department store?”

“A-A department store?”

“Yes. I need to get something.”

“It’s a few roads down.”

“Great. Drive me there, and back to the hospital, if possible. And then, we can go to the SSR.”

“Of course,” the butler said, slightly confused. He hated spies for talking in riddles.

—

“Mister Thompson, you have a package,” the nurse informed Jack, as he sat in his bed, going through his bag, that (Y/N) had left him.

“A package?” Jack asked, slightly paranoid. I mean…the man had just been shot. “Who is it from?”

“The woman who came to visit you a while back,” the nurse informed and Jack’s form relaxed.

“Bring it in, please,” Jack said, curious. The nurse exited his room and came back a minute later with a brown bag. He took it from the nurse, setting his own bag down. The nurse left the room. Jack looked into the bag. Its contents were wrapped separately. The bag had a small paper saying ‘(Y/N).’ He opened them all, and smiled at the contents.

A box of Cheeri-Oats, a carton of milk, and a small bottle of wine.

He placed the Cheeri-Oats and Milk on his bedside. He picked the wine bottle up. It had another note.

‘Drink this or hide it before the nurses hog you and take it away.’

He, of course, drank it.


	3. The Case

“Good morning,” (Y/N) smiled at the receptionist of the hotel (Y/N) and Jack had been staying at.

“Good morning. How may I help you?” the receptionist asked. (Y/N) noticed that he wasn’t the same receptionist from when (Y/N) and Jack were staying there.

“I’m Agent (Y/N) (L/N) with the SSR.”

“Oh-you here about the shooting?”

“Yes.”

“They couldn’t send someone else?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I mean, they don’t have men in their office?” (Y/N) was about to snap at the man, but was cut off by an unfamiliar voice.

“Leave the lady alone,” a man said, leaning against the desk. “She’s doing her job, and apparently, she’s doing it better than you. And not letting murderers shoot her customers.”

The receptionist looked down, embarrassed. (Y/N) shot the unknown man a grateful smile.

“What can I do for you, sir?” the receptionist asked the man.

“Well, currently, you can help this lady out with whatever she wants,” the man said. (Y/N) nodded at the man, as the receptionist led her to the still untouched crime scene.

“No one else came to investigate?” (Y/N) asked, suspicious.

“No.”

“Can I talk to your predecessor?” (Y/N) asked, as she came back down the stairs.

“Uh-He quit. The day of the shooting, he got pretty distraught, so he left. Poor Mack, had a soft heart, that boy.”

“I’m not sure it was because of the soft heart, really,” (Y/N) mumbled, more to herself. “Alright. I’ll need you to step away while I investigate.”

—

Jack stirred as sunlight entered into his hospital room, hitting him right in the face. He felt a little hyper-active and…weird. He slowly sat up in his bed. Almost as if on cue, the doctor walked in.

“I see you’re up. Miss (L/N) made arrangements to pull you out of the hospital. You see…normally, I wouldn’t let one of my patients walk away like this but she says that you are friends with Howard Stark. And I’ll not lie. We can’t provide what he can.”

“We’re not friends,” Jack said, his voice slightly high-pitched. “Acquaintances, more like.”

“Well, yes. So…we’ve given you anaesthetics. You might feel a little weird. You’re on lots of drugs. But, hey, good news! You’re going home.”

“Yeah. That’s good news,” Jack said, grinning, lopsidedly.

“Miss (L/N) is here to take you. You don’t have a lot of stuff to take. Would you need any assistance?”

“Nah, I’m good,” Jack said. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”

“Uh-I-Ummm…Miss (L/N)? Indeed, she is.”

“Hey! No. You don’t get to call her beautiful,” Jack whined like a kid. “She’s my best friend, not yours.”

“I’m sorry. She’s not beautiful. N-”

“How can you say that? She is the prettiest soul to ever live on this planet.”

“I’ll just tell her you’re awake and you can go home.”

—

“To Mister Stark’s residence?” Edwin Jarvis asked, as (Y/N) tried to make Jack sit up straight. He was currently sitting with his head on (Y/N)’s chest, and honestly, (Y/N) was a little weirded out.

“Chief, where did you hide the file?” (Y/N) asked. Jack just grinned up at her. “Chief?”

“Hey, shut up. Can’t you see I’m busy?” Jack whined, staring up at (Y/N) with the grin still plastered on his face. (Y/N) glared at him.

Jarvis sat in the driver’s seat and snickered. He found the situation thoroughly amusing. So, naturally, it came as a surprise to him when he heard a smack and a groan. He turned around, tentatively, to see Jack groaning, his hand on his right cheek. She slapped him. Unable to control himself, Jarvis let out a loud laugh. (Y/N) turned to glare at him and he quickly turned around.

“Where did you hide the file, Chief?”

“At Stark’s place,” Jack groaned, still holding his cheek. It didn’t really hurt much. He was just a drama queen.

“Great!” (Y/N) exclaimed, before she quickly fetched the pills out of her bag, and made Jack eat them. Jack did not need to be asked twice. And within minutes, he passed out with his face against the window.

—

“You made me eat sleeping pills, Agent (L/N),” Jack exclaimed, dramatically, as he stood in the living room of the extravagant house. “That is not acceptable.”

“In my defence, Chief, you were being difficult.”

“That does not justify giving your boss your sleeping pills. I DIDN’T WAKE UP FOR TWELVE HOURS.”

“The doctor said that you were supposed to be under strict care and if you were too hyper-active, I had to sedate you with this,” (Y/N) held a weird hospital syringe up. “So would you rather I use stuff I have no idea about? My sleeping pills wouldn’t have had any adverse effects so I responsibly used them. What else was I supposed to do?”

“Bear with me,” Jack said, as if it was obvious.

“Do you have any idea how impossible that sounds?”

“I think you’re just being a whiny little bitch,” Jack regretted the words almost as soon as they left his mouth. “I didn’t-”

“It’s alright. I am sorry. I shouldn’t have given you the pills. No, really. I’ve been taking them for years. You aren’t used to them. Worse could have happened. I’m really sorry, chief,” (Y/N) said, as she walked towards the table in the corner of the room with the phone on it. She picked the receiver up and dialled a number. Jack didn’t wait for her to finish the conversation. He just walked into the room that had been assigned to him. He sat down at his bed, sulking. He looked down at his lap.

“You are so dumb, Jack. Everytime it starts getting a little better, you mess it up. God, that was rude. What do I do?” he whispered, to whoever was listening. He looked up to come face to face with Howard’s portrait. “Uh-No, thanks. I don’t want advice from you.”

—

“What are you doing here?” Jack didn’t mean for the question to come out this rude. He really didn’t. But, well…when does he mean for anything to happen?

“Peggy and Daniel are working on finding Dottie Underwood. I’m afraid, we are on this mission for ourselves, Chief,” (Y/N) said, masking her hurt, as she placed a chair at his bedside and sat down in it. “When you’re back on your feet, you can, of course, find other agents to help you at the New York office.”

“No, I think we can work on this. At this point, you, Carter and Sousa are the only ones I trust.”

“I thought you didn’t trust me, Chief? You just recently woke up from a sleep induced by sleeping pills I gave you,” Jack knew what (Y/N) was trying to do. She was trying to push him as far away as she could, just as he had when he came back from war. But he wouldn’t let her. “Are you sure your trust isn’t misplaced?”

“I trust you with my life, (Y/N),” Jack said. (Y/N) looked into his eyes for a moment, and it felt like nothing had happened. It was like the war had never happened. They were still the same people. Jack and (Y/N). Young, reckless, innocent, immature and carefree. (Y/N) placed a hand on his shoulder. Jack winced as he felt a tug at his stitches. (Y/N) quickly pulled her hand back and the moment broke. The next time they looked at each other, they were Agent (L/N) and Chief Thompson. Still reckless, only a little older but very, very scarred.

“Uh-we should probably focus on the case,” (Y/N) said, in a hushed whisper, tugging her hair back.

“Yeah. Of course,” Jack said, flustered. “So…you investigated the crime scene. Did you find something?”

“No, I didn’t find any clues, but I think I might have found a lead.” (Y/N) pulled a picture of a man out of her handbag. She placed it on the bed, infront of Jack. Jack raised a brow at her. “Do you recognize this man?”

“Should I?”

“No. This was the man at the reception of the hotel, when I went to investigate the place,” (Y/N) said, looking at Jack’s face for a reaction. His eyebrows scrunched up and his lips formed a frown. His trademark confused expression.

“It’s barely been three days,” Jack said, confused.

“Right. So I sensed something fishy was up and I got hold of his predecessor’s file from the employer,” (Y/N) said pulling a file out of her handbag. She handed it to Jack. Jack examined the file and his eyebrow gradually lifted as he read on. He looked at (Y/N) and she gave him a ‘Get it?’ look. “He hadn’t been working there for long. Can I have a look at you plane tickets if you don’t mind, chief?”

“Yeah. Just a minute.” Jack fished into his bag and pulled three plane tickets out, handing them to (Y/N). (Y/N) looked at all three for a while. Her face lit up. She showed him the ticket from when he returned to New York after the Calvin Chadwick fundraiser. His eyes widened.

“He only started working there a day before you left!” (Y/N) exclaimed. “And he quit after you got shot. This can’t be a coincidence.”

“I don’t think he’s the murderer,” Jack said.

“No! I’m not saying that either. When you were taken to the hospital, after getting shot, he was still at his desk. A murderer would have fled immediately.”

“You’re saying he’s working for an organization?”

“The FBI, possibly.” Jack looked at (Y/N) like she had grown an extra head.

“The FBI? That’s a serious accusation, Agent (L/N). What makes you say that?”

“I was the first one there to investigate. The FBI hadn’t investigated the scene for three entire days. That’s very fishy.”

“Why would the FBI want to investigate an attempt at my life?”

“Well…firstly, they love to head-butt into our cases. And secondly, you’re the Chief of the New York SSR. You’re kind of a big deal,” (Y/N) said, making Jack roll his eyes, playfully. “That man…Vernon Masters. He was in the FBI, wasn’t he?”

“(L/N), Vernon is dead. And why would he want to kill me?”

“Well, you betrayed him and left him with the two most dangerous and most volatile people in the world. Besides, you didn’t find a body, did you? There’s no proof to it. I think you should know that you shouldn’t believe in someone’s death unless you see a body.”

“Well, screw me but Whitney Frost’s method was very clean.”

“Chief, I think we should consider the possibility.”

“Fine,” Jack sighed. “I’ll try to have an open mind. No promises, though.”

(Y/N) chuckled. She picked the file and the photograph up and put it in her handbag. She helped Jack lay back down. She leaned down and placed a short kiss on his forehead.

“Get some rest, Jack. Please.”


	4. Christian Johnson

(Y/N) quickly stood up and rushed to his side as she saw Jack walk into the dining room, next morning. “You’re not supposed to be out of bed,” she scolded him.

“Stop mothering me,” Jack said, slightly pushing (Y/N) away, making his way to the coffee table. (Y/N) stood with her arms folded, looking at Jack with a smirk. Jack tried, he really did. He didn’t want to be teased. He wouldn’t let (Y/N) win on this one. But, halfway to the table, he had to stop and lean against the wall, with laboured breathing. He looked at (Y/N), whose smirk widened. He looked at her with a slightly pleading look, hoping to pass the silent message.

“Say it,” (Y/N) smirked at him.

“Come on. Stop being petty,” Jack groaned.

“Say it,” (Y/N) insisted.

“Help me to the table,” Jack said, looking like it took him extreme physical pain to do so.

“What’s the magic word, Chief?”

“Help me to the table, please?”

“Gladly,” (Y/N) said, cheerily, as she rushed to his side, placing her arm across his shoulder and helping him to the table. She helped him sit down, before taking the seat opposite to him.

“Chief Thompson, you shouldn’t be out of bed,” Ana Jarvis’ soft, Hungarian accent rang out, as she walked out of the kitchen with (Y/N)’s coffee. (Y/N) thanked her as she took the coffee. Jack looked like he was about to say something rude. (Y/N) shot him a look, which he easily translated to ‘Don’t you dare.’

“It was getting pretty boring staring at Stark’s portrait,” he said, instead, earning a satisfied look from (Y/N).

“It’s a collection,” Ana informed, as she poured some coffee for Jack, too. “There’s one in every room.”

“Pass me the paper,” Jack said, when Ana walked back into the kitchen.

“What’s the magic word, chief?”

“Stop it,” Jack warned. (Y/N) laughed at his face, before handing the paper to him. Mainly because, if she didn’t, he’d wrestle her for it, and the fact that he was in no condition to, wouldn’t stop him.

“I called Daniel in the morning-”

“Oh- so he’s Daniel, now?”

“What are you talking about? I’ve always called him Daniel.”

“No. I’ve heard you call him Sousa.”

“That’s only for formal events, chief. This is not a formal event.”

“Well, then why are you calling me-or, You know what? Never mind. Yeah, what happened? You called Sousa.”

“And he got us the real name, identity and address of that man at the hotel,” (Y/N) said, as she slid a paper towards Jack.

“What does it say? I can’t read your handwriting. It gives me a headache.”

“Stop being dramatic. You’re the only one who can’t. Everyone else can. It says ‘Christian Johnson, 27’ with an address.”

“And what do you plan on doing, exactly?”

“I plan on questioning him.”

“No.”

“What?”

“I’ll be there when you question him.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You can barely walk.”

“Then we wait.”

“You know we can’t do that.”

“Then get him into custody.”

“Here?”

“Yeah. Bring him here.” (Y/N), completely opposed to the idea, glared at her boss. Her boss glared back. Ana walked out of the kitchen, and sensed the awkward energy.

“What shall I get you both for breakfast?” she asked, awkwardly.

“Cheeri-Oats,” (Y/N) and Jack said, simultaneously, still glaring at each other.

—

(Y/N) groaned as she received another look from people nearby. Jack had just sent her to buy the shaving kit he usually used. Seriously, people do not look all sunshines and smiles at a woman buying a shaving kit. Atleast it was better than Jack coming himself when he can barely stand.

“The ladies’ section is up there, sweetheart,” a man had the nerve to tell her. (Y/N) rolled her eyes. She was about to snap at the man but was cut off by an unfamiliarly familiar voice.

“Hey. Leave the lady alone.” (Y/N) turned around to see the man that had told the hotel receptionist off when (Y/N) had gone for the investigation. (Y/N) smiled at him.

“Fancy seeing you here,” she said.

“Same here,” the man said, walking towards (Y/N). He motioned towards the shaving kit in her hands. “Is that for your boyfriend?”

“For my boss. He’s bedridden and has me do all the work,” (Y/N) said.

“Sounds like an ass,” the man said, and (Y/N) awkwardly chuckled. He was an ass, but (Y/N) felt a sort of protective instinct. Only she was allowed to call him an ass.

“I’m sorry but I didn’t really catch your name, earlier,” (Y/N) informed the man.

“Oh, right. Rude of me. I’m Thomas Ernest.”

“(Y/N) (L/N).”

“Yeah. I caught that earlier,” he smiled. It was a charming smile. (Y/N) was mentally swooning. “You live here?”

“Uh-no. I’m actually from New York. My boss and I were here on a business trip and he got shot. So…now we’re stuck for a while.”

“I caught the SSR agents part too,” Thomas said, laughing.

“You know what the SSR is?”

“No. But it sounds fun. And that’s also a huge coincidence. I’m from New York too.”

“Oh-really?”

“Yeah,” Thomas said, smiling at (Y/N). (Y/N) reprimanded herself. She’d love to have something with this guy but it should be slow. She just found the guy’s name out. “You said you’re stuck here for a while?”

“Yeah. And I barely know people here. My boss had to go get himself shot, didn’t he?” Thomas and (Y/N) chuckled. Thomas fished into his pocket and pulled a piece of paper out.

“Here. That’s my number. Anytime your boss gives you a hard time, just ping me up.”

“Sure thing,” (Y/N) said, smiling at his retreating figure.

—

“You have no right to do this,” Christian Johnson said, as (Y/N) dragged him out of the car, into the house.

“Actually, I do,” (Y/N) sassed, popping her badge up. Ana watched from a window as (Y/N) dragged him in. Jarvis quietly followed (Y/N). He was now bouncing between helping Peggy and helping (Y/N). (Y/N) pushed Christian through the hallway, into Jack’s room. Jack quickly stood up from his bed, and made his way towards him. “Hey. Easy. I didn’t drag him all the way here for you to open your stitches up, either way.”

(Y/N) sat a frantic Christian down on a chair. She poked her head out of the room. Jarvis stood at the end of the hallway.

“Mister Jarvis. Would you please fetch me a rope, please?”

“What makes you think I would happen to have rope?”

“…You’re Howard Stark’s butler?” Jarvis sighed at (Y/N)’s statement, before walking away and returning a moment later with a tight rope. “Thank you, Mister Jarvis.”

“So…we’ll tie you up,” Jack said, not knowing what to say. (Y/N) rolled her eyes, before tying him up. After he was securely tied to the chair, (Y/N) and Jack stood before him with their intimidating faces and postures.

“What is your name?” (Y/N) asked.

“Douglas Macklemore,” Christian said. (Y/N) almost laughed.

“What is your real name?”

“I told you. It’s Douglas Macklemore,” he insisted.

“Alright, Christian, let’s assume your name’s Douglas. So, Douglas…you were there the day we arrived at the hotel.”

“Yes.”

“Why did you quit?”

“I was distraught after you got shot. I was pretty shaken up,” Christian responded. “When you were being taken by the ambulance-I-I had never seen so much blood in my life.”

“Oh, really?” (Y/N) snorted. “Because, if I was distraught about something like this, I would take a break. I wouldn’t quit. Look, Christian, you will tell me who shot him and why, is that understood?”

“You are being stupid. I think you need to get your brains checked. Why would I know?” Christian asked, desperately. Jack stepped towards him and grabbed his collar. (Y/N) placed a hand at his chest, stopping him.

“You’re in no position for the carrot-and-stick method,” (Y/N) said. Jack went to protest but shut up when he realized that she was right. (Y/N) sighed, before she slapped Christian as hard as she possibly could. Jack looked at her, a little surprised. She didn’t usually do that.

“(L/N)…”

“You will tell me who tried to kill him, and why,” she said, threateningly. Christian looked at her with a smirk, his demeanour entirely changed.

“No one tried to kill him. He was just in the way of receiving intel. Your boyfriend isn’t really as special as you think,” Christian said. And a moment later, Christian started coughing up blood.

(Y/N) and Jack panicked. Neither of them were doctors. (Y/N) knew he needed meds. She began untying the rope. Jack walked toward him. He lifted Christian’s hand up and felt his pulse. He looked at (Y/N), who looked back at him. He shook his head. (Y/N)’s expression changed. She examined the inside of Christian’s mouths. Her eyes slightly widened. Jack saw it too. He pulled the half dissolved pill out of Christian’s mouth.

“It must be some kind of poison in a tablet,” Jack said.

“He killed himself to prevent talking,” (Y/N) said, slightly shaken. She had seen people die and kill themselves but…never for this reason. (Suicide was kind of a big deal back then.)

“That’s some loyalty…to whoever he’s working for.”

“I think it’s fear,” (Y/N) said, staring at Christian’s blooded face. She looked down at her hands, with a few drops of the same blood.

“(L/N), Are you okay?” Jack asked.

“I don’t know,” (Y/N) said, letting out a shaky breath. She quickly rushed to the washroom and washed her hand. She wet a cloth and walked back into the room. She quietly went up to Jack and wiped the blood from his hand. Jack could see she was a little shaken up, which usually didn’t happen. He smiled as he looked down at her. She had always been slightly shorter than him. His smile wavered when he noticed a tear fall down her cheek.

“Hey,” he whispered, cupping her face in his hands, wiping the tear away. “It’s alright.”

“I just-What can a person do to make you so afraid of them? Jack, this is cruel,” her voice broke but no more tears fell.

“(Y/N). You couldn’t have done anything. But we’ll catch whoever it is, won’t we?”

“We will.”

“Great. Now I’ll help Jarvis clean this mess up. You should rest. I think you’ve had enough for the day.”

“Chief, you need to-”

“That’s an order, (L/N).”


	5. Drunk Date

“You feeling better?” Jack asked (Y/N) as she walked into the dining room, the next day.

“I should be asking you that,” (Y/N) said, sitting on the chair opposite to his.

“I’ll live,” Jack said, setting the morning paper down.

“I’m not so sure. We lost our only lead,” (Y/N) said. She was now more frustrated than distraught.

“You can search his house,” Jack said. “Maybe we’ll find something.”

“Me? You don’t wanna tag along?” (Y/N) asked, surprised.

“No, I think I caused you enough problem yesterday. I think you could’ve had him talk if you hadn’t dragged him here.”

“It wasn’t your fault, chief.”

“I’ll get you a warrant. You can search his house.”

“Well, let’s just hope I find something.”

—

(Y/N) had found nothing in Christian’s house. She was pretty sure that it was just a temporary house. She only found his fake I.D. which was useless. As she walked towards the door, she noticed a photo-frame sitting on a table. It was the only personal touch in the entire house. (Y/N) picked it up. It had a picture, which was a little old. She easily pointed Christian out. But that was not what caught her attention. One of the other men caught her attention. She felt like she recognized him from somewhere. She put the frame in her handbag and made her way outside and into the car that Jarvis had waiting for her. She sat down and told him to drive her back to Howard’s place.

When they reached, (Y/N) quickly got out of the car and rushed into the house. She walked into Jack’s room. He sat up as soon as she walked in. He carefully studied her expression.

“I take it you’re not sure what you found,” Jack deduced. (Y/N) wordlessly sat on the chair beside Jack and handed him the photograph. Jack raised a brow as he examined it.

“That’s Christian Johnson,” (Y/N) said, pointing to his photograph. Jack nodded. (Y/N) motioned to the other man she recognized. “I recognize him.”

“Great. Who is he?”

“I don’t know.”

“That’s…kind of what recognizing means.”

“Look…I have seen him somewhere before. I’m not sure where, but I have,” (Y/N) said, frustrated with herself.

“(L/N), it’s alright. Don’t beat yourself up. Give it some time. Try asking Marge and Sousa. Maybe they do, considering how the three of you have been running around, thick as thieves,” Jack said, and (Y/N) ignored his tone. “Oh-and also, can I get something to do? I’m getting kinda bored, just laying here and staring at Stark’s portrait.”

“You don’t really have a lot of hobbies that can be practiced while lying on a bed,” (Y/N) said, grinning, as she made her way to the door. Jack rolled his eyes. “And I doubt my company is more fun than staring at the portrait.”

“It might be,” Jack muttered, but (Y/N) had already walked out of the room.

—

Peggy smiled at her as (Y/N) walked into Daniel’s office. (Y/N) smiled back at both Peggy and Daniel. She sat down in the only empty chair and pulled the photo-frame out of her handbag.

“This guy,” (Y/N) said, pointing at Christian Johnson. “Let the man, whoever he was, in the hotel, to kill Jack. I found this picture when I was searching his house. I think I recognize this man.”

Peggy and Daniel exchanged a look. They recognized the man. (Y/N) raised a brow. They both turned to look at her.

“That’s Joseph Manfredi.”

—

“Why are you back so soon?” Jack didn’t mean it to sound rude. He really didn’t. But well…

“I find reporting every advancement to you more exhausting than you do,” (Y/N) sassed. “I know who it is.”

“Alright. Great. Who is it?”

“Joseph Manfredi.”

“Oh-Great. Now the mafia want me dead,” Jack groaned, and (Y/N) honestly wanted to slap him. Again. “Well, atleast we have it figured out, now. Christian was working for Manfredi, who wants me dead because I arrested his girlfriend.”

“No, I don’t think it was Manfredi that Christian was scared of.”

“And what makes you say that?”

“Because this photograph was the only personal thing in the entire house.”

“Maybe they used to be great friends, but Manfredi recently did something to terrify him.”

“No. The house was a very temporary arrangement. If he was having a rough patch with Manfredi, he wouldn’t have put it up.”

“So…you’re saying that…”

“Manfredi is working for someone higher. Yes, chief, that’s what I’m saying.”

“Can we question him?”

“You know we can’t get custody of him, chief.”

“I thought we had it partly resolved. This just got harder,” Jack said, as he chuckled. (Y/N) smiled a little.

“We’ll get whoever it was. I promise,” (Y/N) assured, as she held Jack’s hands between both of hers. Jack looked at her, and for a moment, he had this sudden urge to lean over and kiss her. But, before, he could blink, (Y/N) had quickly stood up and was already making her way out of the room. Jack sighed. He had to focus on the case.

—

“Take it easy. You don’t need to be fast.” (Y/N) had decided to take a break from investigating for a day. Jack really wanted out and so, that evening, (Y/N) helped him to the poolside. She slowly helped him sit down.

“I can still walk, you know?” Jack said, with a teasing smile on his face. (Y/N) smiled as she sat down beside him. These past few days, (Y/N) and Jack’s relationship had improved more than it had since the war. It was bittersweet. (Y/N) knew all of it would be gone soon. But she decided to enjoy every second of it. “It feels kinda good to be out of that room, for a change.”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t want to sit and stare at Stark’s portrait, either,” (Y/N) said. They both sat in comfortable silence, looking into the water. “It was nice of him to let us stay. We don’t really know him, do we?”

“Yeah. I suppose,” Jack said, ever the ungrateful asshole. (Y/N) took a deep breath. Jack knew she was just as tired as he was. Jack looked at the sunset, and it really calmed him down. He felt a weight on his shoulder, and looked to his side, to see (Y/N)’s head, comfortably rested on his shoulder. On instinct, he wrapped an arm around her. A few minutes later, Jack looked down at her. Her eyes were shut, she had a small and peaceful smile on her face, and the setting sun’s rays hit her face at just the right angle. God, was she beautiful. He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Night, (Y/N).”

“Good night, Jack,” she mumbled, half asleep, and Jack felt his heart leap in his chest.

———

“Careful,” Thomas said, in a duck voice. “You’ll spit your drink out.”

“Then stop impersonating all sorts of animals,” (Y/N) said, but her laugh made it clear that he shouldn’t dare to stop.

“That’s what I do. I love doing it,” Thomas said, in his normal voice. “I feel like it’s getting late. You really should go back before your boss loses his head.”

“Yeah. I should,” (Y/N) chuckled. It was 10 p.m. She had had such a great time with Thomas, she lost track of time.

“A toast, first?” Thomas asked, lifting his champagne glass. (Y/N) smiled at him. He was unapologetically himself and (Y/N) loved that. She lifted her champagne glass. “To the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met.”

“Oh, stop,” (Y/N) brushed him off as she blushed uncontrollably. “You’re just trying to flatter me.”

“Only speaking the truth,” Thomas said, as he stood up, followed by (Y/N). He interlocked (Y/N)’s arm with his, and led her to his car. He opened the car door for her, and she blushed. He was a real change after having grown up with Jackass Thompson. She smiled at Thomas when he sat down. (Y/N) kept smiling at him, when he sang along to the music on the radio of the rented car.

When they made it to Howard’s mansion, Thomas got out of the car, and opened the door on (Y/N)’s side. The alcohol was finally starting to get to her. He bowed and kissed her knuckles, making her blush before bidding her goodnight, and driving away. (Y/N) made her way into the house with a giddy heart. She wasn’t sure whether the alcohol contributed to it. She was making her way to her room, but was stopped by Jack, who was sitting in the dining room, a bottle of wine on the table.

“Where have you been?” (I thought of Molly Weasley and wheezed so hard; send help)

“Oh, hi, chief,” (Y/N) smiled, still feeling giddy. “I was just out with a friend.”

“With a friend? (L/N), we’ve barely been here for two weeks.”

“Which is enough to make friends.”

“(L/N), you’re drunk.”

“I think we might become more than friends, though. But, I don’t know if he saw that as a date, though.”

“Well…we’re going home next week. Might want to say your goodbyes to him.”

“That’s the best part. He lives in New York,” (Y/N) squealed. “He’s so cute.”

“We’re having this discussion in the morning. Sober yourself up.”

“I’m not that drunk,” (Y/N) said, as she sat down on the chair opposite Jack’s. Atleast, she tried to. She ended up on the floor.

“Yeah. I believe that.”

“No. This was my plan, okay? My plan was to pretend to sit on the chair, so that it feels validated, but end up sitting on the floor, because the floor needs more love.” Jack facepalmed, before leaning down and picking (Y/N) up bridal style. He carried her to her room and carefully lay her down on the bed. All the way there, (Y/N) kept whispering, “The floor needs more love. We should start sitting on the floor.”

Jack tucked her in, and started leaving. (Y/N) grabbed his arm and whined. Jack turned around.

“What’s wrong?”

“Stay with me,” she slurred. Jack sighed, before placing a chair on her bedside and positioning himself comfortably before drifting off to sleep. The last thing he saw before drifting off was her face, the moonlight through the curtains hitting it, just at the right angle.

_Jack knocked at the door with his left hand. His right hand was currently helping a completely drunk (Y/N) stand. The door swung open and Jack’s grandma looked at both of them. Jack’s parents were away and naturally, they got drunk. (Y/N) did most of the drinking. Jean looked at a slightly tipsy Jack and a completely drunk (Y/N) from over her glasses. She stepped to the side, to let them come in._

_Jack and (Y/N) stumbled into the house. Jack sat (Y/N) down on the couch, and she was making incoherent noises. Jack, slightly tipsy, laughed louder than he usually would have._

_“Your parents get back tomorrow. What am I supposed to explain to them?” Jean said, as she stood infront of the two, her arms crossed._

_“Gam-Gam,” (Y/N) exclaimed, and Jack still wonders if she had genuinely not noticed Gam-Gam standing there before. (Y/N) flung her arms around Jean. “Wow. Gam-Gam, your skin is so soft. How can I get your skin? I mean…not your skin. Just soft skin. Without the wrinkles.”_

_“Oh, geez. (Y/N). Sweetie. I think you should go sleep,” Jean said, stroking (Y/N)’s hair._

_“No. Gam-Gam, first, I need your skin.”_

_“A part of my skincare routine involves sleeping,” Jean informed. (She never had a skin care routine, tho…)_

_“Oh, really?” (Y/N) asked. She quickly stood up, and started making her way towards the stairs. She climbed two steps, before stumbling down. Jack stood up from the couch and made his way towards (Y/N). He lifted her up, bridal style, and carried her to his room. He slowly set her down on his bed. She kept whispering, “I’ll have a pretty skin. Like Gam-Gam.”_

_Jack turned around to leave but (Y/N) grabbed his arm and mouthed ‘Stay.’ Now, usually, Jack would have denied, but he wasn’t completely sober himself. So, he asked (Y/N) to scoot over, she did, and he lay down beside her. She wrapped her arms around his torso and placed her head on his chest. The last thing she heard before dozing off was his steady heartbeat._


	6. The Fight

“My head hurts,” (Y/N) groaned as she walked into the dining room, the next day. Jack grinned.

“And you’re surprised?”

“Shut up,” (Y/N) snapped. Jack’s grin just grew wider.

“I thought about your FBI theory,” Jack said. “And I think it’s worth a shot. Especially now that we’ve hit a dead end.”

“So…what? I’ll march into the FBI and take the lot of them into custody.”

“No. Are you mental?”

“I WAS BEING SARCASTIC.”

“Right.”

“We can’t get a warrant to question FBI agents.”

“Atleast not as SSR agents,” Jack said with a look on his face (Y/N) hadn’t seen since the war. The mischievous look that told that he was up to something.

“What are you going to do?”

“You might hate a part of this plan. It involves me going out.”

“No. Absolutely not.”

“Hey. Calm down, (L/N). Not into the field. We’ll go undercover.”

“And knowing you, chief, you will probably blow our cover, which will result in a fight AND YOU’RE IN NO POSITION TO FIGHT,” (Y/N) yelled. Jack glared at her. (Y/N) glared back. Ana slowly walked out of the kitchen, and stood in awkward silence, feeling the awkward energy. She cleared her throat. They both turned to look at her, and as if they had one brain, they turned back to look at each other. They both smiled widely.

“You have a very deep voice, (L/N),” Jack commented.

—

“Good evening,” (Y/N) said with an English/American (just change it according to what your natural accent is) accent and the deepest voice she could manage. The guard looked at her with a raised brow.

“This is a couples only bar, sir,” he said.

“Right. Just a minute. Reyna, darling? Where’d you go?” (Y/N) said, pretending to search for Ana in the crowd. Ana hustled her way through the crowd to the front. (Y/N) wrapped an arm around her waist. “I’m sorry. My wife’s just very petite. She gets lost easily.”

“You know how I am, Mark,” Ana said, chuckling. It was the worst American accent (Y/N) had ever heard, but she chuckled along. The guard nodded and let them in.

“Ana, I will do whatever you want of me, but please, never, ever try an American accent again,” (Y/N) said, as soon as they made their way in. (Y/N) quickly made her way into the bathroom, followed by Ana. She pulled her jacket off to reveal a dress, and pulled her pants off. She removed her wig and undid the messy bun. She put on the lipstick Peggy had lent her. ‘Sweet Dreams.’ She stuffed her clothes into a cubical with Ana, before placing a nearby ‘Out of Order’ sign on the door of said cubicle.

She slowly made her way out, dancing slowly to the rhythm of the music. She caught a few eyes, yes. She slowly made her way towards the bar, coincidentally positioning herself beside a man who happened to be an FBI agent.

“Hey, sweetheart, where’s your partner? I thought this was a couples only bar,” he said, turning to (Y/N).

“He-he picked someone else,” (Y/N) said, her voice breaking.

“Hey. Hey. Don’t cry,” he said, placing his arm across her shoulder.

“What about you? How did you get in?” (Y/N) asked.

“Doll, I’m an FBI agent. I can go wherever I want.”

“You’re an FBI agent?” (Y/N) pretended to be amazed. “So…how did the guard let you in?”

“I threatened to have him behind bars,” he smirked. ‘What an ass,” (Y/N) thought.

“Well…we seem like the perfect pair. Atleast to satisfy each other for one night, if you know what I mean,” (Y/N) said, in the most seductive tone she could manage. She leaned a little forward, flashing her breasts, and lay a hand on his thigh. He gulped.

“I’ve never met someone as straight-forward as you,” he said. “I like you.”

(Y/N) smirked, before getting up, and walking away into the crowd, motioning for him to follow her. He followed her, as if he was in some sort of trance. As soon as they were alone, near the bathroom, (Y/N) kissed him. He kissed back, but quickly realized what was happening. He pulled away and stared at (Y/N), before passing out.

(Y/N) dragged him into the washroom. She opened the cubicle with Ana, and smiled at her. Then, Ana and (Y/N) quickly dragged him out of the back door and stuffed him into the back seat of the car. (Y/N) sat in the back seat, with a gun pointed to the agent’s head, in case he woke up. Ana sat in the passenger’s seat.

“I thought you’d never return,” a frantic Jarvis said.

“I’m fine, Edwin,” Ana assured.

“Not that you care, but I’m fine, too.”

—

“Do they let any idiot join the FBI?” Jack asked as (Y/N) dragged the FBI agent into his room. (Y/N) shrugged.

“I’m never posing as a man again,” (Y/N) said. “You need to start healing quickly.”

“Yeah. I’ll be the one to go in as an FBI agent. I have a plan. It’ll have to wait until we get back to New York.”

“That’s like a week or so. What are we going to do with him, meanwhile?”

“Leave him to Marge?” Jack said, in a questioning tone. (Y/N) shook her head at him, as she fetched the I.D. and package out of the agent’s blazer.

—

“You make for very co-operative guests,” Ana said. “I really hope Mister Jarvis and I will be able to host you, again.”

“Ana, you are great. I would love to come back if I can, after we have this case solved.”

“I really enjoyed having you both.”

“That was probably because he was bedridden. Otherwise, he can be a real pain in the ass.”

“SHE CAN TOO,” Jack yelled from outside the house. (Y/N) rolled her eyes and walked out. Jack stood, leaning against the car, with both his and (Y/N)’s bag. He looked…attractive? (Y/N) shook her head and rid herself of those thoughts. It mostly included placing them into her subconscious. “You ladies over with your tea party? I’ve been standing here for ten minutes.”

“Whatever,” (Y/N) rolled her eyes, before she picked her bag up and sat in the car. “I’m waiting for you, now, chief.”

“You’re insufferable,” Jack said as he sat in the car.

“How long will it be, Mister Jarvis?” (Y/N) asked.

“The airport is approximately a fifty minutes’ drive,” Jarvis replied from the driver’s seat. (Y/N) removed her shoes, and curled herself into a fetal position. If it’s fifty minutes, might as well make herself comfortable.

About ten minutes later, Jack heard light snoring. He looked down to see (Y/N) asleep. He smiled and slightly lifted her head to place it on her thigh. She squirmed in her sleep, before smiling and sleepily adjusting her head.

When they reached the airport, Jack almost felt like asking Jarvis to drive them all the way to New York. (Y/N) just looked so peaceful and Jack didn’t want to wake her up. It wasn’t usual that she fell asleep without her pills. Jack reluctantly shook her awake. (Y/N) stirred before shooting up.

“Hey. Calm down,” Jack placed a hand at her upper-arm. “We’re here.”

“Oh. Alright,” (Y/N) rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, before putting her shoes back on. Jack picked both of their bags up. (Y/N) got out of the car, and stretched her arms out. (Y/N) and Jack (mostly (Y/N)) bid Jarvis goodbye. (Y/N) and Jack slowly walked into the airport. Customs didn’t take long. They were federal agents, come on.

“It’s a five-hour flight,” Jack said. “You should catch up on your sleep.”

“Yeah. I plan on doing that,” (Y/N) said, as she surveyed her surroundings. Her face lit up as she saw a friendly face in the crowd. He noticed her too, and waved over. She made her way towards him.

“Hey. Where are you-” Jack trailed off as he realized where she was going.

“(Y/N), what are you doing here?” Thomas said, smiling widely.

“Same thing you are,” (Y/N) said, hugging him. Jack stood watching. If only looks could kill… “What plane are you on, Thomas?”

“There you go,” Thomas said, handing her his ticket. (Y/N)’s eyes widened.

“Are you stalking me?” (Y/N) joked. “Same plane.”

“(L/N), time to move,” Jack said, as he walked over to (Y/N) and dragged her away and into the plane.

(Y/N) and Jack were safely seated when the plane started flying. (Y/N) stared out of the window as the plane gained flight. She smiled, causing Jack to smile. After they were over the clouds, (Y/N) stopped looking out of the window. She turned to look at Jack and smiled at him. He smiled back. His embarrassment was limitless when she leaned forward and he realized she was smiling at her ‘friend.’ Jack turned to look at him too. Her ‘friend’ turned around to the person sitting next to him and whispered something, before turning around and nodding at (Y/N). (Y/N) squealed, before standing up and inter-changing her seat. Jack had never wished someone to die more than he did at that exact second.

So Jack spent the rest of the flight home with an old man snoring next to him, while he watched (Y/N) smile and laugh and throw her plan of sleeping down the dungeon.

—

“YOU ARE BEING DRAMATIC,” (Y/N) yelled.

“I AM? WELL, DON’T COME CRYING TO ME WHEN YOU GET KILLED,” Jack yelled, equally loud.

“HE IS NOT A SPY,” (Y/N) said.

“Oh yeah? Well, then how do you explain the fact that he just happened to be at the hotel when you went to investigate? Or at the store? Or he just happened to be a New Yorker? And happened to be on the same plane? Coincidence, my ass,” Jack tried appealing to her practical sense. “You need to stop seeing him.”

“I DON’T NEED TO DO ANYTHING YOU TELL ME TO!”

“I always used to,” Jack said. “What changed?”

“Oh,” (Y/N) scoffed. “Shall I go alphabetically or chronologically?”

“You’ll end up dead. That is why you need to listen to me.”

“I DON’T!” (Y/N) yelled. “You used to have a say in my love life because you used to be my best friend. You don’t have any say in my love life anymore.”

“(L/N)…”

“You don’t mean anything to me, Thompson. You haven’t meant anything for a pretty long time.”

“You don’t mean anything to me, either, (L/N).”


	7. That Man Hates Me

(Y/N) had no idea how she was going to face Jack today. She kept whispering, ‘It’ll be alright. Just the usual.’ To herself all the way to her desk at the SSR New York. She slowly sat down and started filing in the usual paper-work. At noon, she started taking and delivering lunch orders. After she had delivered everyone’s lunch, she sat back down at her desk and continued with the paperwork. (Y/N) was right. Just like any usual day.

Well…almost.

“Agent (L/N),” Jack’s voice rang out in the bullpen and (Y/N) looked up from her desk. “In my office.”

“How can she possibly get into trouble when all she’s good for is paperwork?” (Y/N) heard from one of the desks, followed by a few snickers. (Y/N) rolled her eyes, before walking into the Chief’s office. Jack pulled the blinds down and (Y/N) shut the door behind her.

“We can’t delay with the FBI thing,” he told her the moment she had shut the door behind her.

“What FBI thing?”

“I-For the case. Don’t tell me you forgot.”

“I’m still on the case?”

“Why wouldn’t you be?” Jack asked, rather harshly. He fully intended to.

“I thought I didn’t mean anything to you?”

“You don’t. That’s exactly the point. I don’t care if you get yourself killed.” OUCH.

“Right,” (Y/N) said, masking her hurt. “So…you were saying?”

“I’m going to go in, undercover. I’ll be wearing this,” Jack picked a pair of glasses up.

“That’s a remote camera,” (Y/N) said.

“Wow. Look at you. How smart do you feel?” (Y/N) seriously wanted to throw him out of the window. “I’ll give you the photographs tomorrow morning. Tell me if you see anything suspicious.”

“Will do, chief.”

—

(Y/N) compared the pictures of different FBI agents. None of them was supposed to recognize him, because he was delivering a package from the L.A. branch of FBI, so Jack taking pictures of them the moment he saw them was not completely daft. She just had to figure out which one recognized Jack. But how do you figure out a person’s reaction by looking at photographs. But, she tried. The case wasn’t personal to her. Of course not. Why would she care if anyone shot Chief Jack Thompson, right? No, no one bought that.

“You making any progress?” Jack asked, walking over to (Y/N)’s desk.

“I would if you didn’t strut over here every five minutes, asking the same question,” (Y/N) said.

“Who do you think you are talking to?” Jack asked, his tone getting angry, much to the pleasure of other agents.

“You?”

“You know I have the power to fire you this second,” Jack said, his voice low, as he placed his hands on her desk, and leaned down to come face-to-face with her.

“Go ahead. Do it,” (Y/N) said, knowing very well that he wouldn’t do it. Jack sighed.

“You’re insufferable,” he whispered, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “You know what? Pack your stuff. I don’t want you back in my office till you have found a proper lead for this case.”

(Y/N) looked at him, with her mouth slightly open.

“All this because of Thomas Ernest? You can’t…”

“Yes, I can. Pack up and leave.”

(Y/N) looked down at her lap, feeling embarrassed, before slowly putting the pictures in her bag, along with her other belongings. She slowly stood up. On her way out, one of the agents put his leg forward, in a pathetic attempt to trip (Y/N). (Y/N) stepped over his leg, before turning around to look at him.

“Who will take your lunch orders, Agent Fox?” (Y/N) sassed.

“(L/N)…” Jack said, in a warning tone. (Y/N) looked at him, before exiting the SSR.

—

(Y/N) took another swig from the already half-empty bottle of champagne.

“None of them respect me, as it is,” she slurred as all the photographs of the FBI agents looked back at her, unmoving. “It would have been so much better if he just fired me.”

One of the photographs looked back at her, his eyebrows scrunched. (Y/N) glared at him.

“Don’t look at me like that. I’m serious,” (Y/N) slurred. “But he just suspended me. Now I have to keep working on y’all. I don’t get paid and I lose the limited respect they had for me.”

To (Y/N), all the sentences made perfect sense, though, if anyone else was to hear, she’d probably be sent to an asylum…or an exorcism. Her eyes suddenly widened. She rushed to the bathroom and splashed some water on her face. She rushed (stumbled) into the kitchen, and filled up a glass of water, squeezing a lemon into it. She quickly gulped it down, and rushed back to her bed.

This was it. This agent. He was suspicious of the fact that (Y/N) would rather get fired. No. Wait-He was suspicious when he saw Jack. He was suspicious of Jack. This was it. Their lead.

(Y/N) did a little happy dance across the room, before glaring at the picture. She began giving the picture a monologue on moral grounds.

She drifted off mid-monologue.

—

The next morning, (Y/N) had woken up, taken a bath and intensely looked at the picture to make sure that her drunk mind hadn’t played a trick on her and was now standing infront of the main gates to the bullpen.

“I thought I told you not to come?” Jack said, sighing. He made his way towards (Y/N). “(L/N), you are being a problem. A huge problem. And what I need right now are solutions.”

“Well, then, this might be your lucky day, chief,” (Y/N) said, covering her hurt with a cheery look. “Now, we could discuss this here, or in your office.”

“You’re insufferable,” Jack sighed, before walking into his office. (Y/N) followed. Jack rudely snapped the door behind her shut, making (Y/N) jump. He pulled the blinds down and turned to (Y/N) with a harsh look. “What’ve you got?”

“Well, look at this guy,” (Y/N) said, pulling the picture out of her bag and placing it on the table. “This man obviously recognized you.”

“So…you’re working on a hunch?” Jack asked. (Y/N) raised a brow. “You just think he’s our lead because his expression looks like he’s suspicious.”

“What? I-”

“Do you know what SSR stands for? Strategic Scientific Reserve. Strategic. You know what that means? Or do I have to explain it to you like a toddler? Like I always do and always have been doing. I suspended you and you came back to me, WITH A HUNCH!”

“THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU ASKED ME TO DO.”

“I WANT SOLID ANSWERS.”

“WE JUST NEED A LEAD. WE’LL-” (Y/N) was cut off by a knock at the door.

“Chief Thompson?” Agent Fox’s voice sounded. (Y/N) quickly put the photograph back into her bag.

“Come in,” Jack said. Fox walked in and placed a file on the table. “Is this-?”

“Chief, it’s from the L.A. office,” Fox said. “Should (L/N) be here while we discuss this?”

“Yes, she should,” Jack snapped. “What is it about?”

“A dame, said her name was Peggy Carter, called in and said she has a suspect…to be taken out at sight…here in New York,” Fox said.

“Alright. Just leave the file here. I’ll have a look at it.”

“Thank you, Chief,” Fox said, before walking out of Jack’s office. Jack sighed.

“(L/N), what do you think about taking a little break from this case and doing Marge a little favour?”

“Sure. If you take your thick head out of your ass,” (Y/N) said, making Jack roll his eyes, as he examined the file Fox had just left.

“Tomorrow night, then.”

—

(Y/N) made her way towards Jack’s office. The blinds were not drawn and the door wasn’t locked, either. So, naturally, Jack and the three agents in there weren’t discussing anything confidential. (Y/N) placed her ear against the wall. She could hear Jack, Agent Fox, Agent Watson and Agent Walters.

“Chief, I thought you suspended her,” Fox said. (Y/N) understood exactly who.

“I did,” Jack said. “She figured her assignment sooner than I thought she would.”

“You shoulda given her some time, instead of work. Women do anything for validation,” Walters said. “It’s not a surprise to me that she figured it out, whatever it is.”

“Well, atleast she’ll cover the lunch orders, now,” Fox said, making everyone laugh. (Y/N) didn’t really care about Watson or Walters, but Jack laughed. Why was she feeling bad? He made it pretty clear he hated her.

“Chief, can you suspend her again?” Watson asked.

“I have no right to suspend her without reason,” Jack said, making the other three groan. “You can give me a reason to.”

“Oh.”

“Just poke her with the right jabs. She’ll snap. Come complaining to me, I’ll suspend her,” Jack said, making the other three cheer. (Y/N) took a deep breath. “Maybe this time I’ll give her a time, not a task. How’s two weeks sound?”

“Can you imagine the look on her face?” Watson chuckled.

“Say anything remotely sensitive around her, and you’re done. Suspended. Just like that,” Jack said, with a smirk on her face. “You don’t even need to make sure she’s listening. She’s quite the eavesdropper.”

(Y/N) took that as her que. She walked into the office. Watson, Fox and Walters paled and awkwardly exited the room.

“Chief, the report you asked for,” she said, handing him the report.

“(L/N)…about what you just heard…I’ll have you know that I would have said the same thing, if you were standing right in front. I’ve made it clear that you don’t mean much.”

“Point duly noted, sir,” (Y/N) said, before walking out of his office.

“Man, I heard (L/N) and the Chief used to be thick as thieves, back in the day,” Watson whispered. “Hearing that’s got to hurt.”

“She’ll heal,” Fox said, making Walter and Watson laugh.

_“Who does she even think she is?” McMillan said._

_“Tell me about it,” Miller said._

_“She’s not willing to accept the fact that she’s a girl,” West added._

_“Thompson, you are the team captain. Can’t you kick her off the team?” Miller asked. “The school team is lagging because of her.”_

_“Well, even if I could, I wouldn’t have,” Jack said, making the other boys groan. “I have no plans of kicking (Y/N) (L/N) off the team. And you might want to think before you talk. She’s quite the eavesdropper.”_

_“What?” Miller asked, confused. Jack smirked, before exiting the almost empty classroom where the team members had called him for an ‘urgent discussion.’ Sure enough, (Y/N) was standing near the door, looking like a deer-in-headlights. He smirked at her._

_“How did you know I was listening?” she asked._

_“Oh, please,” he said, rolling his eyes. “How long have I known you?”_

_“Fair enough.”_

—

(Y/N)’s desk phone rung. She quickly picked the receiver up.

“Agent (Y/N) (L/N),” she said.

“Hey, (Y/N),” Peggy’s voice said.

“Peggy?”

“Yeah. I was just calling to let you know that I found a lead on the Dottie Underwood case.”

“That’s great.”

“So…I’ll be coming to New York.”

“Oh? That’s a joy. The SSR New York has too much testosterone.”

“I don’t want to imagine. I’ll meet you at your place?”

“Yes. Sure thing. When will you be getting here?”

“Soon. I’m calling you from the airport public phone.”

“That’s great. I really need someone to talk to right now.”

“(Y/N), what’s wrong?”

“Nothing much. Just same old day at the office.”

“(Y/N)?”

“It’s Jack.”

“Jack? Ana told me you both were getting it patched up,” Peggy said, making (Y/N) scoff. “No, really. What went wrong?”

“That man hates me.”


	8. Friends, again

(Y/N) waved at Peggy, as she walked out of the SSR, New York.

“I thought we were supposed to meet at my place,” (Y/N) said as she reached Peggy.

“Oh- that would be dull. And I think I have had my fill of dull with the closing of the Whitney Frost case, and only just having found a lead on Dottie Underwood.” (Y/N) chuckled at that, as they made their way towards the cab they had booked. Peggy told the driver to drive to the café.

When they reached the café, they ordered their food and talked about all sorts of stuff, before the conversation shifted to a topic (Y/N) had hoped to get her mind off.

“(Y/N), you’ve known Thompson since you were three,” Peggy said.

“Yes?” (Y/N) wasn’t sure what this conversation was getting to.

“What was he like back then?” she asked.

“Well…he was different,” (Y/N) stated the obvious. “He wasn’t always like this. I mean, he was always a jerk, but with nice intentions. We used to be best friends. Then during the war, he showed up at my doorstep in a uniform. He said he got into the Navy.”

_There was knock at the door. (Y/N) groaned. She started walking out of the kitchen. There was another knock. And another._

_“I’m coming,” (Y/N) hollered. She looked through the peep hole to see Jack’s face. She opened the door. “Bloody hell, Jack. What has got you so-”_

_Her statement was cut short when Jack engulfed her into a hug, lifting her off her feet, and spun her._

_“What the hell?” she questioned. Jack beamed up at her. That’s when she noticed his uniform. Almost as if on cue, he said, “I got into the navy.”_

_“Jack, that’s great,” (Y/N) said, equally happy, as she walked back into the house, followed by Jack. “You’ve always wanted this.”_

_“I know. It’s so surreal,” Jack said. “Imagine what a huge punch it would be to Mary Watson’s face when she found out I’m going to fight tomorrow.”_

_“Oh. That girl from seventh grade. The one who said you would never do anything in life. In her defense, you made fun of her hair. Not that her hair didn’t look like a bird’s nest,” (Y/N) laughed with Jack, before letting comfortable silence set in. She made her way to the kitchen and pulled a box of cheeri-oats (For those wondering, Cheerios were called Cheeri-Oats in the 40’s), two bowls and a carton of milk. She made her way to the living room. Jack sat on the couch, comfortably. “This calls for a celebration, but your unfortunate timing burnt the food I was making. I hate you for that. All we have is Cheeri-Oats.”_

_“And wine,” Jack added, as he leaned over to pick the half emptied bottle up._

_“Wine? With Cheeri-Oats? Really?” (Y/N) laughed, as she poured milk into the cereal bowls and Jack poured them two glasses of wine. (Y/N) and Jack ate in comfortable silence. In the silence, (Y/N) began comprehending what Jack had said. ‘I got into the navy.’ ‘I’m going to fight tomorrow.’ Her eyes suddenly widened._

_“Jack?” she whispered. He turned towards her._

_“(Y/N).”_

_“You- You came to say goodbye, didn’t you?” At this, Jack sighed. He had hoped (Y/N) wouldn’t realize until he was gone. “This is your version of ‘Probably my last moment with my best friend,’ isn’t it?”_

_“(Y/N)…I don’t know when I’ll see you again,” Jack explained, putting his bowl down and placing a hand on her shoulder. “If I’ll see you again.”_

_“Jack,” her voice broke as a tear rolled down her face. Jack wiped it away, as he cupped her face in his hands. This was difficult for both of them. More tears rolled down (Y/N)’s face, and soon, she was sobbing. Jack wrapped his arms around her, neither of them wanting to leave the embrace._

_“I’ll come back to you,” Jack promised._

“He never really came back,” (Y/n) told Peggy. “Back in the day, we used to be such great friends, so effortless. When he came back from the war, I was so happy and relieved to see him. I guess he was happy to see me too. He said how he had kept his promise and he hugged me. But I could tell something was off. A few days later, he told me what had happened during the war. It was something he still beats himself over.”

“He’s told me about it,” Peggy informed. (Y/N) acknowledged.

“It really weighed down on him. He slowly starting pushing me farther. And, well…you know where we are, today.” Peggy nodded, understandingly. “It’s why I joined SSR. To fill the hole he left. And it turned out that I was good at the job. So I stayed.”

“Why don’t you talk to him about it?”

“Oh, he doesn’t want to talk to me. I saved his life when he got shot after the Whitney Frost fiasco, and he woke up at the hospital and they told him I saved him, he just looked at me. Not even a thank you. And wait till I tell you what I overheard at the office today.”

“I’m sorry,” Peggy said, knowing she couldn’t say anything to make (Y/N) feel better.

Unbeknownst to them, a special someone had heard the entire conversation and was now cursing his stupidity.

—

(Y/N) made her way towards Thompson’s office. Peggy has said that she didn’t need help, now that she was in New York but (Y/N) insisted, and now she had to take out a suspect on a field op with Jack Thompson. Just another day at the office, right?

“Can we leave, Chief Thompson?” she said, as she entered his office.

“Yes, I’ll be out in just a moment, Agent (L/N),” he said.

— — —

“I think we’re done here,” Jack said.

“Easier than I thought it would be.”

Boy, was she wrong.

“(Y/N), I just want to say…I’m sorry.” But the sentence got stuck in his throat as he turned around. He’d heard movement, and before he realized who, what, or why, (Y/N) let out a gut-wrenching scream.

He turned to her and he felt his heart stop for a moment. A knife protruding right out of her abdomen. (Y/N) stumbled and slowly slid down onto the ground against the nearest boulder. It all happened so quickly. Jack rushed to kneel beside her.

“(Y/N), (Y/N), stay with me,” he said, panicking. He could feel tears building up. She wasn’t going to die. She couldn’t leave him.

“Jack,” she whimpered. “You have to catch whoever that was.”

“No. I’m not leaving you like this. I need to get you to a hospital. (Y/N), don’t close your eyes. I swear to God.” Jack lifted her up, bridal style, and placed her in the backseat of his car. “(Y/N), I swear, if you die, I’ll resurrect you, kill myself and haunt your arse forever.”

(Y/N) giggled a little at that, before slowly closing her eyes. Jack panicked. He quickly got in the driver’s seat and drove to the closest hospital.

—

(Y/N) woke up and was greeted with the unpleasant smell of medical disinfectants. She was at a hospital. Someone was holding her hand. She turned around to look at Jack. He quickly looked at her.

“Uh-I’ll-Um-I’ll send Marge in here,” he stuttered before quickly getting up and walking out. A few minutes later, Peggy walked in. She smiled at her.

“How do you feel?” she asked.

“Better.” Peggy sat in the chair Jack had occupied a few minutes earlier.

“I thought Jack didn’t want to talk to you?” she teased. (Y/N) just shook her head.

“He doesn’t.”

“He’s not left your side once since you got here. And don’t get me started on how frantic he was when the doctors were operating on you,” Peggy informed (Y/N) with a self-satisfied smirk on her face.

“He was just worried about his own arse. How do you think the other agents would react to an Agent’s death during a field op with the chief?”

“Fair point. But, his eyes were red. He’d been crying. He even sounded like he was crying when he called me,” Peggy said. “He even called Daniel. He forced Daniel to fly here from L.A. That’s how worried he was about you.”

“Daniel flew from L.A.? How long have I been here?”

“Seven hours,” Peggy informed. “I’ll send him in. He wants to see you too.”

As Peggy left, Daniel entered the hospital room. He sat down in the chair.

“(Y/N), you gave us quite the scare. Especially Jack,” Daniel said, with a suggestive look on his face. (Y/N) groaned.

“Why is everyone so obsessed with me and Jack?” On the other side of the door, Peggy and Jack were having a similar conversation.

“That man hates me.”

_“That woman hates me.”_

“But do you hate him?”

_“But do you hate her?”_

“I could never.”

_“I could never.”_

“I adore him.”

_“I adore her.”_

“I’ll send him. You need to talk to him.”

_“Go and talk to her. You both have some conversations due.”_

(Y/N) made to protest but Daniel had already left.

“Sousa, you son of a bitch.” Jack walked in and sat beside her. The next few moments were spent in awkward silence.

“I’m sorry,” Jack finally said. His voice cracked. A tear rolled down his cheek. (Y/N) immediately felt bad. She pulled her arm out and lay it on his shoulder.

“Jack,” she whispered. “I understand that you were suffering from trauma, but you can’t just push people away.”

“I know,” he sobbed. He leaned towards her bed, and (Y/N) wrapped her arms around him, comforting him like she used to. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, Jack,” (Y/N) soothed.

“How can I pay it back to you? I messed up, (Y/N).”

“You don’t really need to pay back for anything, Jack.”

“Wel, then…friends?” Jack asked, extending his pinky finger forward, hopeful.

“I thought you’d never ask,” (Y/N) said, intertwining her finger with his.


	9. The Boyfriend

“Hey,” (Y/N) whispered, as she woke up and came face to face with a half-asleep Jack. Jack suddenly shot up, before realizing where he was.

“Oh. Hey,” he whispered back.

“What are you doing here?” (Y/N) asked, groggily, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. “You should be home.”

“I’m good, thank you.”

“You’re the most stubborn person I’ve ever met,” (Y/N) said, shaking her head as Jack laughed along a little. (Y/N) then changed to a more serious topic. “Did you find out who it was?”

“No,” Jack said, his smile instantly disappearing, replaced why a look of anger and embarrassment. “Marge was able to rule out any involvement of whoever it was with the suspect we killed. The man…yes, it was a man…had to have known that we had an op.”

“Are you-are you suggesting-”

“That there’s a mole in the SSR.” Jack picked something up from her side-table. It was the same dagger that was used to stab her. Jack was…what was he…glaring at it?

“You know, it’s an inanimate object.”

“This knife almost killed you,” Jack countered.

“First of all, it’s a dagger-”

“Oh, come on.”

“Yes, it is. Knives are used for cooking.”

“Is there a point approaching anytime soon?”

“Well…I’m just saying that you can kill whoever was wielding the dagger when you figure out who it is.”

“Knife.”

“Dagger.”

“So…they’re friends now?” Daniel asked, as he stood in the hallway, looking at the two through the glass window.

“Yes, they are,” Peggy agreed.

“I have no idea what they’re gonna be like. I mean…in all the time I’ve known them, they’ve been at each other’s necks. I don’t know what to expect.”

“I don’t, either.”

—

“It’s not fair,” Jack whined, like a little kid.

“Stop it, Jack,” (Y/N) said, embarrassed, as all the people at the hospital looked at the two.

“Easy for you to say,” he said. “You’re going back home. I had to lay there and stare at Stark’s portrait for TWO WEEKS.”

“Jack, calm down.” Would any of you believe me if I told you that (Y/N) was on painkillers and Jack wasn’t? No, you wouldn’t.

“You’re the worst,” Jack whined, as he helped (Y/N) out and into the car. (Y/N) sat in the passenger’s seat, examining the car.

“You still ride this piece of junk?” (Y/N) asked.

“What else am I supposed to ride?”

“I don’t know. Buy a new car. You’ve had this car since before the war.”

“That’s the point. It holds emotional meaning to me.”

“That doesn’t mean you’ll hold onto it, Jack,” (Y/N) said, shaking her head at him, with a smile.

“Sure does,” Jack said. “How’re things with you and the asshat?”

“His name is Thomas,” (Y/N) scolded, though her expression showed that she was amused. “And…yeah…we talk. But we’ve only been on a date once, since we got back to New York. It’s hardly been a week since we got back.”

“He isn’t that attractive,” Jack commented.

“Jack, would you please try to get along with him? He’s a great person. I think you should meet him. You’ll like him.”

“I doubt that,” Jack said, under his breath.

“No, Jack, really. Despite what an asshole you can be and what I said earlier, you do mean a lot to me. Out of all the people I know, I think I’ve known you for the longest. That means something.”

“I’ll try,” Jack sighed.

“Thank you.”

“No promises, though,” Jack added, making (Y/N) chuckle, before he got onto a more serious topic. “I thought a little about the FBI thing.”

“Oh? I thought that wasn’t strategic.”

“(Y/N), I-I honestly don’t have anything to say, other than…I’m sorry.”

“Hey. I was joking. Geez. Don’t ever say something so cheesy ever again,” (Y/N) said, pretending to throw up. Jack rolled his eyes. “Sorry. You were saying something.”

“I think we should interrogate him. But we can’t take him into custody,” Jack said.

“You know who can?” (Y/N) asked, smirking at Jack.

“Marge.”

“Exactly.”

“But you have to ask her. If I do, she’ll never let me live it down.”

“Yeah. Sure. Wouldn’t be the first time I asked for a favour on your behalf.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

—

{(A/N): This happens a couple of days after (Y/N) got out of the hospital.}

“I’m not sure about this,” Jack said, for probably the hundredth time.

“Relax, Jack,” (Y/N) said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “He said he would love to meet you.”

“Of course he did,” Jack grumbled, as (Y/N) dragged him into the surprisingly fancy restaurant. She looked around and waved when she saw Thomas. He waved back. (Y/N) made her way towards the table he was sitting on. Jack sulked behind her. Jack rolled his eyes as Thomas pulled (Y/N)’s chair out for her. Something a gentleman would do, surely. But he knew (Y/N) didn’t like feeling that way. (Y/N) didn’t really like gentlemen. Or people who treated her in a ‘lady-like way.’

This Thomas guy didn’t know shit about (Y/N).

—

“So…what do you think?” (Y/N) asked Jack as they both walked back to her place.

“Not as attractive as you think he is,” Jack said. (Y/N) glared at him. “What? I’m just being honest.”

“Yeah. Whatever,” (Y/N) rolled her eyes. Jack stopped and turned to look at her. (Y/N) stopped and faced him, too.

“I’m being serious,” Jack said, clasping (Y/N)’s hands. “You can do much better.”

“Jack-”

“But he’s not that bad,” Jack said. (Y/N) turned to look at him with her mouth slightly open. His expression made her realize he wasn’t bluffing. “He doesn’t know you too well, but if he makes you happy…I can settle with it.”

(Y/N) squealed, and threw her arms around him, whispering ‘Thank you,’ over and again.

The rest of their walk to (Y/N)’s house was silent. (Y/N) fetched for her key in her bag and Jack marvelled at how, even after all these years, he was completely familiar with the layout. (Y/N) walked into the house and Jack followed. (Y/N) switched the lights on and Jack plopped onto the couch.

“Can I get something to eat?” Jack called out.

“You literally just ate,” (Y/N) said, exasperated.

“You did most of the eating,” Jack said, making (Y/N) roll her eyes. She walked into the kitchen, and set a box of Cheeri-Oats and a carton of milk onto the table.

“Seriously?” Jack asked, before standing up and making his own way towards the kitchen and getting a bowl to eat in.(Y/N) gave a self-satisfied smirk. Jack and (Y/N) sat in comfortable silence, that is, if you consider Jack’s loud chewing noises as silence, as (Y/N) read a book. The moment was broken by the ringing of the telephone. Jack stood up and took the call.

“Jack Thompson,” he said.

“What are you doing at her place?” Peggy’s voice said, suspicious.

“What’s it to you?”

“I interrogated the agent you asked me to get custody of,” Peggy said.

“Alright. Great. You figure anything out?” Jack asked.

“You might want to sit down for this,” Peggy said, for dramatic effect. “This is Agent Wallace. Working in the Yonkers Manfredi.”

“I-Manfredi?” Jack groaned. “The mafia in the FBI?”

“WHAT?” (Y/N) yelled from the couch, before stumbling into the foyer. Jack turned around and shushed her.

“It would surely explain a lot,” Peggy said.

“Jack Thompson, you are dead meat,” (Y/N) whispered.


	10. Gam-Gam

(Y/N) stirred, as the Sun shone right in her face. She slowly sat up and blinked the sleep out of her eyes. She stretched her arms out, before standing up, and making her way to the living room. There was a tangled blanket lying on the couch, with no sign of Jack. (Y/N) took a deep breath, not wanting to jump to assumptions.

“Jack?” she called out. When she received no response, she slowly started getting angry. She took another deep breath. She slowly made her way towards the door. Jack’s shoes were gone. (Y/N) was now about ready to kill. She went to the telephone, before dialling the familiar number.

“Chief Thompson,” she heard.

“WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?”

“(Y/N)?”

“YOU LEFT THE BLANKET. WHY DIDN’T YOU FOLD IT? DO YOU EXPECT ME TO FOLD YOUR BLANKETS, NOW?”

“I HAD TO SLEEP ON THE COUCH.”

“THAT IS NO EXCUSE.”

“YES, IT IS. IT CAN BE USED AS-Yes, Agent Scott. Everything is alright-COMPENSATION TO THE FACT THAT YOU MADE ME TAKE THE COUCH.”

“IT’S MY HOUSE.”

“YOUR POINT IS?”

“MAYBE NOT BEING FRIENDS WITH YOU WASN’T SO BAD.”

“YOU DID NOT JUST-”

“YES I DID.”

“YOU SUCK.”

“NO, YOU DO,” (Y/N) yelled, before putting the receiver down. (Y/N) glared at the wall for a few moments, before bursting out into laughter. (Y/N) quickly took a shower and got dressed. She was in the middle of preparing breakfast, when the phone rang. She ran up to it.

“(Y/N),” she heard.

“Who’s this?”

“It’s John.”

“Oh. Hi, dad.” (Y/N) was about nine when she’d called Jack’s father ‘Dad’ for the first time, accidentally. Then, it just stuck as a joke. When John didn’t laugh, (Y/N) knew something was wrong. “John, what’s wrong?”

“It’s mother,” he replied.

“What happened to Gam-Gam?”

“She’s sick. The-The doctors say they’re not sure how long she has.”

“How long-They-Can’t they do something?”

“They can’t. Something about ‘Can’t stop a natural event.’ They’re saying it’s complications related to old age.”

“Oh. I-John…”

“She’s asking for you and Jack.”

“We’ll be there. Of course,” (Y/N) said, a few tears building up in her eyes. “You’ve told him?”

“No. That was something I wanted to talk to you about. (Y/N), honey, I know it’s not fair to put this onto you, and I really wish I had an alternative. But, I don’t. I don’t think I have the heart to tell him. Even if I did, I think he should have someone’s shoulder to cry on. He…He deserves to hear this personally. Could you-”

“Yes, John. I will,” (Y/N) said, her voice breaking.

“It’ll be difficult for you.”

“No, John. I’ll do it.”

“Thank you, (Y/N).”

—

“Jack?” (Y/N) called out, as she knocked at Jack’s office door.

“Come in,” she heard. With a heavy heart, she walked in. She almost walked back out, when she saw the smile on Jack’s face. She didn’t want to tell him. She locked the door behind her. Jack looked at her with a raised brow. She wordlessly drew the blinds.

“I bought you breakfast,” (Y/N) said, placing the brown paper bag on his desk. “Your dumb ass didn’t have anything before leaving my place, did you?”

“It’s not Cheeri-Oats,” Jack said, as he looked into the bag.

“Well, you can’t carry Cheeri-Oats in a brown bag, so I’m sorry you didn’t eat anything.”

“You have something on your mind,” Jack pointed out.

“Eat,” (Y/N) said.

“Tell me what’s wrong,” Jack said.

“First, eat,” (Y/N) said, knowing Jack would go into complete shut-down when she told him and wouldn’t eat or sleep. Jack slowly pulled the contents of the brown bag out and started eating.

“Have you been crying?” Jack asked, his face stuffed with food.

“Jack, do you remember Miss Smith?” (Y/N) asked.

“Well…I’ve known a couple of Miss Smith’s.”

“Miss Minerva Smith.”

“Oh. Our Language Arts teacher in seventh grade,” Jack nodded.

“Eighth grade,” (Y/N) corrected.

“Whatever. More than half of the stuff she used to say passed over my head,” Jack said. (Y/N) cracked a weak smile. “Alright, what’s on your mind?”

“Remember when she once told us about the thing most tragedies have in common.”

“Uh-huh.”

“One of the things she said stood out to me. She said that the best tragedies have characters die of unnatural causes. Because if they let characters die after living a fulfilling life, most people view that as something very happy,” (Y/N) said. Jack raised a brow at her.

“Where’s this going?”

“I feel like that’s something that applies in real life, too,” (Y/N) said. She could see the gears moving in his head. She wished she could still time. She didn’t want him to realize. But, he did. He sat completely still, a blank expression on his face.

“(Y/N), how’s Gam-Gam?”

“Jack…I’m sorry,” she said, her voice cracking. Jack took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. His eyes started getting glassy. (Y/N) hated seeing him cry. “The doctors don’t know how long she has. She’s been asking for us. John said we should visit.”

“Why didn’t Dad call me?” Jack asked. This was another quality of his. Whenever something like this happened, he liked diverting from the main subject to something completely different. It helped him stop the tears.

“He didn’t have the heart to tell you himself,” (Y/N) said. She stood up and moved her chair from across him to beside him. “Jack. It’s okay. You can cry.”

“I just-” But Jack didn’t complete his sentence, as tears started falling down his face. (Y/N) placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, as tears streamed down her own face.

“Jack, it’s alright.” (Y/N) stood up from her chair, and kneeled infront of him, so that they were face-to-face. “I’m sorry, Jack.”

“Don’t be,” he croaked out.

“You should call John. Let him know you’re coming. Ask him what hospital. And I just think, he needs to hear from you, right now,” (Y/N) said, as she stood up. He nodded, before wiping the tears by the back of his hand. He took a deep breath, which did absolutely nothing to calm him down. (Y/N) looked at him, pitifully, before wrapping him up in a hug. He almost broke down again, with his face in the crook of her neck, as she stroked his hair.

“I’ll call him,” Jack said, as he pulled away from the embrace. He moved towards his desk phone, and picked the receiver up, before dialling. He looked at (Y/N) as the line rang. She smiled, encouragingly. Jack took a deep breath, as John picked the call.

“Morning, dad…Yeah, I talked to her…She told me…We’ll be there…Yeah…No, I’ll drive her there…Yeah…I love you too, Dad.”

“Well?” (Y/N) looked at Jack, expectantly.

“The City Hospital back home,” Jack replied. “Three hour drive back to D.C.”

“It’s going to be okay, Jack,” (Y/N) said, as she clasped his hand. He nodded.

—

“Names?” the woman at the desk asked.

“(Y/N) (L/N). Jack Thompson,” (Y/N) replied.

“We’ve been expecting you both. You are here for Jean Thompson?”

“Yes,” (Y/N) nodded.

“Room 245. The end of the hallway.” (Y/N) was pretty sure the woman something else along the lines of ‘Have a nice day,’ but (Y/N) and Jack had already sprinted away to Room 245. She could feel the emotions radiating off of Jack, when he looked into the room, where Jean lay, connected to ECG’s and other machines.

“(Y/N) (L/N)? Jack Thompson?” a man, who (Y/N) presumed to be the doctor, asked. (Y/N) nodded. “I’m sorry, Miss (L/N). Only family allowed.”

“She is family,” Jack snapped, grabbing (Y/N)’s wrist and dragging her into the hospital room.

“(Y/N)? Jack? Thank god you’re here,” Giana said, as she rushed to hug Jack and (Y/N).

“Hey, mom,” Jack whispered as he hugged her.

“Hi, Gi,” (Y/N) whispered. Jack turned to look at Jean. She was currently…sleeping? Unconscious? (Y/N) wasn’t sure but seeing her like this was surely not a great sight. Jack and (Y/N) always remembered Gam-Gam to be so lively and always fuzzing over everything. Neither of them liked seeing her like this. (Y/N) placed a hand on his shoulder, as she walked up to him. He placed his hand atop hers.

“It’s alright, Jack,” she whispered. Jack nodded.

—

“I’m saying that it depends on her body functions. She could go on to live for another year, or flatline this moment,” the doctor explained.

“There’s got to be some way. You can’t just let a patient die.”

“Hey, girly, people die when they get old. We can’t do anything about it.” (Y/N) was about to snap at the doctor, but Jack put his hand forward, stopping her. (Y/N) looked at Jack and he shook his head. (Y/N) took a deep breath, before walking away from the doctor, to stand outside Gam-Gam’s room. A few minutes later, Jack came and stood beside her, as they both looked at Gam-Gam. (Y/N) sighed, placing her head on Jack’s shoulder. As they stared at Gam-Gam lying in the hospital bed, she slowly woke up. Jack and (Y/N) rushed inside, seeing as no one else was there right now.

“Jack?” she asked, the first thing. Jack rushed to her side.

“I’m here,” he whispered, stroking her head, as he fought the tears.

“Is (Y/N) here?” she asked.

“I’m right here, Gam-Gam,” (Y/N) said, moving to her other side.

“They told you?” Gam-Gam asked.

“They did,” (Y/N) nodded. Jack tried to blink the tears away, but a tear rolled down, nonetheless.

“Jack, it’s alright,” Gam-Gam comforted. “I’ve lived a long, happy life. I’m glad and I’m not afraid to die.”

“Gam-Gam, I just-I don’t even think I can say Goodbye. I have so much to say.”

(Y/N) could feel her own tears building up. She slowly stepped out, leaving Gam-Gam and Jack alone.

—

“Marge won’t stay in New York forever,” Jack said, as he sat on the coffee table. It had been a week since Jack and (Y/N) had come to D.C.

“We can’t leave anyone else in charge. We already suspect a mole,” (Y/N) said. Jack nodded. “But we can’t leave Gam-Gam, either.”

“You kids alright?” John asked, as he walked towards them, his eyes still sleepy.

“Morning, Dad.”

“Good morning, John.”

“Actually…it’s just our boss at work has been asking us to get back to work, as soon as possible. But we can’t leave Gam-Gam. We’re just not sure what to do.”

“I think you should go back, today,” John said. “The doctors said that mother’s condition is very unpredictable You kids should get back to work. You know how people in charge can be, especially at phone companies.”

“Yeah, they can be real suckers,” (Y/N) said, looking pointedly at Jack. Jack glared at her. She just gave him an innocent look.

“I think you kids should go take a walk,” Giana said. “I’ll have breakfast ready.”

“Yeah, I think we’ll do that. You know, clear our heads,” Jack said, standing up. (Y/N) stood up, too.

“Besides, it’s been so long since we’ve been back home.”

(Y/N) and Jack made their way out of the house.

“They still don’t know who’s in charge of the ‘Phone Company?’” (Y/N) asked. Jack glared at her.

“You’re so rude,” he said. (Y/N) smirked at him.

“Do you think we should go back?” (Y/N) asked.

“I don’t want to,” Jack said. “But I think we should.”

“Well, you’re the man in charge,” (Y/N) teased, as she intertwined her hand with his. The rest of the walk was silent. That was, until, they came across the old, familiar house. (Y/N) looked at it with a bittersweet look.

“Should we go in and examine?” Jack asked.

“Sure.”

Jack and (Y/N) walked into the old house. It looked different. Naturally. It had been more than ten years. There wasn’t anything special. Just rubble.

“Do you ever miss them?” Jack asked.

“Of course I do,” (Y/N) said. “You know, you’re lucky John and Giana are alive and healthy.”

“I know. I didn’t really appreciate it until your parents-you know-”

“Died. It’s alright. You can say it,” (Y/N) said, as they walked out of the old house. “Well…that was almost as useless as you.”

“HEY.”

“Only telling the truth.”


	11. Kidnapped

Jack cursed himself. He shouldn’t feel like that. She had a boyfriend, and he kept her happy. But he couldn’t help thinking about how much better she deserved. He knew her since she was a kid. He could keep her happier. He had to stop thinking about her like this. But, as he saw her, her head against the car window, her eyes closed and a peaceful look on her face, as the sunlight hit her face, at just the right angle, she looked beautiful. How could he not? He had always seen her take sleeping pills when she had to sleep. Since she was sixteen. So, it always gave him a weird sense of happiness whenever he saw her fall asleep without her pills. He took a deep breath. He should probably focus on the road. He began turning his head to the road, but then she smiled in her sleep, and his eyes fixed right back to her face. She didn’t usually dream, one of the disadvantages of taking sleeping pills. When she did, it was usually nightmares. To see her smile in her sleep was refreshing.

“Jack,” she whispered, in her sleep. Jack wondered whether he was a part of the dream, and the thought made him giddy, inside. Before he could stop himself, he bought a hand forward and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

Who gave a shit if he stared? It was an empty road, either way.

—

“The only lead we have for this case is Joseph Manfredi,” (Y/N) said. “If we don’t consider him, we’ve hit a dead end.”

“But he’s a mafia leader. You don’t just get hold of them.”

“Sure you do,” (Y/N) said. A few weeks ago, she would have flipped at whoever suggested them to take custody of a mafia leader. Now, (Y/N) just wanted to take Jack’s mind off of Gam-Gam. “We’re going to L.A.”

“That was dramatic. Yes. But, no,” Jack said. It was totally not because of the fact that Thomas Ernest was currently in L.A.

“Please,” (Y/N) said. Then, she decided to use the weapon that was meant only for emergency situations like this. She widened her eyes, to give them a doe-like look. She pushed her lower lip out in a pout. Jack looked away. He couldn’t-He shouldn’t-It was not something that was up for question. “I really want to figure this out.”

“Fine,” he sighed. “Marge has a flight in three hours. We’ll be on it.”

“Thanks,” (Y/N) squealed, throwing her arms around him. He just sighed. He needed to learn self-control.

And so, here they were, three hours later, at the airport, boarding a flight to Los Angeles.

“Marge, you don’t mind sharing the plane, do you?” Jack asked, strutting up to Peggy, who looked slightly surprised to see the two.

“(Y/N), I don’t. You…I’m not so sure,” Peggy said, and (YN) smirked at her. Jack rolled his eyes, before walking in, embarrassed.

—

“WHAT-(y/n)?” Jack did not know how to react. His eyes were wide and he would be lying if he said he wasn’t a little impressed. “How?”

“Oh, Peggy helped me,” (Y/N) said, as she casually opened the tailframe of the car.

“But how do you capture a mafia leader?”

“Peggy kicked ass. Those people were really sloppy. I kicked ass, too, but not as much as her. I had to sedate him. Now are you just going to stand there and stare at me or are you going to help me get him out?”

“Oh. Yeah,” Jack said, quickly rushing over and helping (Y/N) get him out of the boot. And as (Y/N) lay Joseph Manfredi on the ground, and stood up, her hair messy and a sheen of sweat on her forehead, Jack looked at her. She just kept getting more and more attractive. Wait-Was he supposed to find her attractive when she looked like a mess? Who cares? She was pretty. It was probably her sass that he felt attracted to, or maybe her passion. He didn’t know. All he knew was that he was falling. And he was falling fast.

“We’ll question him right now, and let him go after that. If we don’t let him go, it puts a target at the back of our heads.”

“Bigger than the one we already have?”

“Bigger than that.”

—

“You can’t do this. You can’t catch me. You don’t have the right to.”

“Oh, everyone has the right to. We’re the only ones who have the guts,” (Y/N) replied. Jack stood infront of Manfredi. He placed a carrot and a stick on the table. Manfredi looked up at him with a raised brow.

“No one’s gonna give you this option,” (Y/N) said.

“The carrot,” Jack said, as he pointed towards (Y/N). He, then, pointed towards himself and said, “The stick.”

“If you wish to speak, you can tell me all you know. You also get a free carrot to munch on.”

“And if you don’t…well…you’ll have to bite down onto that stick,” Jack said.

“How generous of both of you,” Manfredi said, sarcastically. “You’re never getting an iota of intel from me.”

“I guess he chooses the stick,” (Y/N) said, stepping back as Jack got to work.

Why did he look so attractive with his sleeves rolled up and his muscles flexing?

—

“I think you’re getting old,” (Y/N) said. Jack had beaten Manfredi to a pulp, without extracting the tiniest bit of information out of him.

“I’m younger than you,” Jack commented, dryly.

“Age is not a number. It is a lifestyle. And you, Jack Thompson, might be thirty on the outside, but on the inside, you’re getting old.”

“Shut up,” Jack said, laughing. (Y/N) looked up at him. She shouldn’t have felt the sudden urge to kiss him.

“But I think this confirms my theory,” (Y/N) said, as she wrapped a bandage onto Jack’s bleeding knuckles.

“What theory?”

“That he’s working for someone higher. Someone who he’s terrified of,” (Y/N) said. Jack shook his head.

“I’m not so sure.”

“Think about it, Jack. Manfredi’s a scared cat. Normally, he would’ve picked the carrot without thinking twice. This time, he was just so scared to talk. There’s no other explanation.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

“I always am.”

—

(Y/N) was on a night off with Peggy. They had both gone to grab drinks. (Y/N) needed to get her mind off of Gam-Gam and Peggy needed to get her mind off of the Dottie Underwood case. Peggy had gotten pretty drunk, while (Y/N) was only slightly tipsy. Which was a surprise, because whenever (Y/N) went out for drinks, she was the person who was drunk. But, oh-well. There’s always a first time.

Peggy probably shouldn’t have been drunk, because the incident that followed could have taken a different course if she wasn’t.

Neither Peggy nor (Y/N) noticed it when people started clearing out of the pub.

“Look who it is,” an unfamiliar voice said. (Y/N) and Peggy turned around. They went on alert, as they noticed the guns the men were carrying. “You don’t have to resist. Our orders are to not kill either of you. Just calm down.”

Three men swung at (Y/N) and Peggy, at once. A very drunk Peggy and a tipsy (Y/N) couldn’t exactly put up a fight.

A few minutes later, (Y/N) lay on the ground, unconscious, while Peggy tried fighting the men. But the men had her on the ground, and she was half-conscious.

“What about the other one?” a man asked.

“Just take the chief’s gal and leave the English here,” a new voice entered the scene. “I’ll leave Jack Thompson a little gift, right here.”

“Let her go,” Peggy managed to whisper, before passing out.

(Y/N) woke up a few hours later, in a dark room, where she was tied up to a chair. She saw two guards standing guard. She looked at the table. The only thing lying on the table made (Y/N)’s blood run cold.

An entire set of daggers, similar to the one that was used on her.

“Well, shit.”


	12. The Spy

“CARTER, HOW CAN YOU JUST LET A PERSON GET KIDNAPPED?” Jack was about ready to kill. To be honest, the anger was just to cover up the fact that his heart had skipped a beat when he heard and that, he was about to hyperventilate or burst from his anxiety.

“Jack, I’m sorry.”

“SORRY DOESN’T BRING HER BACK, DOES IT?”

“Jack, we were drunk.”

“WHAT AM I SUPOSSED TO DO IF THEY KILL HER?” Jack asked, frantic. His voice broke. “If they kill her-”

“Jack, she’s alive. Atleast she is, right now.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“The men mentioned that their orders were to capture, not kill.”

“That doesn’t mean they’ll keep her alive when they take her wherever they take her.”

“Jack, I think you should calm do-”

“Sousa, don’t you dare tell me to calm down. (Y/N) IS MISSING.”

“Jack,” Daniel tried again. “We should try working on who took her. We’ll go examine the crime scene, yeah?”

“Alright,” Jack nodded. He took a few deep breaths. “Alright. We’ll do that.”

—

“Seriously? One break. Can’t I get one break?” (Y/N) said, into the darkness. The guards just stood, stock still. She waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, the door opened and a man walked in, followed by two more men. The first man was definitely in charge.

“Oh, look,” an English accent said. “You’re finally awake.”

“Well, I’ve been awake for quite a while. You’re just late,” (Y/N) said. One of the two men hit (Y/N). If they thought that would shut her up…well…

“(Y/N) (L/N),” the English man said. “Jack Thompson’s personal dame.”

“I am not his dame,” (Y/N) said, receiving another hit.

“Can you imagine how much I can accomplish with you?” the man asked, stepping into the light. (Y/N) had never seen him before, but he looked familiar, for some reason. “I’ll have the chief of the New York SSR wrapped around my finger. He’ll do whatever I tell him to do.”

“He will never,” (Y/N) said.

“Oh, is that so?” the English man asked. “Well, let’s put your little theory to test.”

“He’s at the crime scene,” a familiar voice said, as a man walked into the room. (Y/N)’s eyes widened as she realized who it was.

“You-What-How-I don’t get it.”

“Hello, Miss (L/N). Thomas Manfredi, in the flesh,” Thomas said, a mocking smirk on his face. (Y/N) cursed her stupidity in every language she knew. Jack warned her. “He’s right where you wanted him to be, Sir. We have our snipers in position. Should they take shot?”

(Y/N)’s heart skipped a beat.

“No. Of course not,” the English man said. “Why would you do that? We have special plans for him.”

“What are you going to do to him?” (Y/N) asked, trying to lunge at him. Of course, (Y/N) just did it for dramatic effect. She isn’t dumb. She was still tied to a chair.

“We won’t hurt him. Not a bit. We need him,” the English man said, before walking towards the telephone. “We’ll just give him a little phone call.”

And with that, Thomas walked towards (Y/N), dagger in hand.

“I will not kill you,” he said. “I only want you to scream a little.”

“Try your best.”

“Oh, I will.”

—

“Carter, you don’t remember anything?”

“All of them had their faces covered. The one who didn’t…I didn’t really catch his face. I was not conscious,” Peggy said, calmly. She didn’t blame Jack for being as worried or snappy as he was. She understood why he felt the way he did. Jack looked for any clue. Anything that could lead him to (Y/N). Peggy fished into her memory, again. “There was-this-I think there was a man.”

“Who? Do you know who it was?” Jack asked.

“I don’t know who it was. But he had brown hair and a scruffy beard.” Jack’s eyes widened.

“He wouldn’t happen to have a Southern accent, would he?” Jack asked, feeling his heartbeat pick up.

“He would.”

“Her new pal. Thomas Ernest,” Jack said, his eyes getting glassy. He blinked the tears away.

“Come again?” Daniel asked, as he bent down and picked something up, with his handkerchief, to avoid any fingerprints.

“Her new pal-boyfriend.” Jack clarified.

“No. The name.”

“Thomas Ernest,” Jack said.

“Yeah. I think it’s Manfredi,” Daniel said.

“What?” Jack turned towards Daniel, confused. Daniel handed him a device, with a note.

‘Chief of an intelligence agency and you never noticed I put a tracker on your best friend?-Thomas Manfredi’

“I warned her,” Jack said, angrier than Peggy and Daniel had ever seen him. “I WARNED HER THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING FISHY WITH THIS GUY!”

“Jack, calm down,” Peggy tried.

“HOW CAN I CALM DOWN, MARGE? HE LEFT THIS AS A MOCK. AND HE SHOULD,” Jack yelled at Peggy, but she did not cower away. “I let this happen right under my nose.”

“What’s this device?” Daniel asked, holding up the device that was left along with the note.

“That’s the tracker, I think,” Jack said.

“The other end of it,” Peggy said. “This is what he used to track her location.”

“But it’s broken,” Daniel added.

“He left it as a mock. HE DID ALL OF THIS, AND AS IF IT WASN’T ENOUGH, HE LEFT ME A MOCK.”

“Jack, we c-” Peggy was cut off by the sound of the telephone behind the bar. Jack rushed to the phone, and picked the receiver up.

“Chief Thompson,” an English accent said, from the other end of the line. Jack’s eyebrows scrunched up.

“Who are you?”

“I don’t think it matters. I do have an ally that needs your help.”

“And why would I help you?”

“I have people surrounding you, all with their hands on a trigger. They are waiting for my call to eliminate Jack Thompson.”

“You think that scares me? You think I’m gonna do what you ask me to, just because if I don’t, I’ll be dead?”

“No. Of course not. I don’t want you dead. I’m sure assassins don’t scare you. But I hoped this would,” the English man said. A moment later, he heard a scream. A loud, terrible scream. (Y/N). His eyes widened.

“Where are you keeping her?”

“I’m afraid I can’t tell you that. I do have some requests that you can fulfil that might ensure her safety.”

“What do want me to do?”

“Well,” a different voice said. Jack recognized it immediately.

“YOU SON OF A BITCH!”

“Now, there’s no need for such language, Chief Thompson. All I ask from you is to return Joe, safely. If you do, I promise that I’ll not hurt her.”

“That’s not good enough. I want her back if you want Joseph Manfredi back.”

“Or…I could always break Joe out of wherever you are keeping him. And (Y/N) could just…” There was another terrible scream.

“I’LL DO IT!” Jack yelled. “Where?”

“That’s more like it,” Thomas chuckled.

Peggy watched as Jack talked. They didn’t know who it was, but they could tell that it wasn’t something good. Despite how dire the situation was, Peggy found it comedic how oblivious everyone was. They would have to be blind, not to notice.

Jack Thompson loved (Y/N) (L/N).


	13. The Knight in Shining Armor

“Sousa, I need to have this repaired,” Jack said, as he stood infront of Daniel’s desk, his arms folded. The broken tracking device lay on the table. “We need to find (Y/N) as soon as we can. I already let Joseph Manfredi go. I can’t have them manipulate me into something else.”

“Jack, they most likely removed the tracker,” Daniel said. “Besides, there’s no one here who’s qualified to do it.”

“What do you mean? Where’s your science team?”

“Following a very science-y lead on Dottie Underwood.”

“What do you mean? Why is your science team following a lead?”

“I didn’t want them to, Jack. But it was very technical. Field agents had no idea about anything.”

“So you sent the entire science team? Are you mental?”

“I don’t exactly have a large science team. I sent only three scientists but you couldn’t spare me one, could you?”

“You need to call atleast one of them back.”

“I can’t make contact with them, unless I want to blow their cover.”

“Look, I really don’t care. (Y/N) is, in every way and form, more important. I NEED TO GET HER BACK!”

“The entire SSR can hear you both arguing,” Peggy said, as she walked into Daniel’s office, breaking up the little argument. “Atleast try to keep it low.”

“Peg, you need to explain it to him.”

“We shouldn’t be discussing this right now. We shouldn’t be debating on whether we should save her. It’s the obvious option.”

“Jack, you’re right,” Peggy said. “But we can’t contact any of the scientists.”

“What else do you suggest we do?”

“I might know…” Peggy trailed off. “How about Howard Stark?”

“S-Stark? You think he can fix this?”

“Of course he can. He’s a genius.”

“Right. Okay. Worth a try.”

—

“Well,” Howard Stark drawled as Peggy, Daniel, Jack and Jarvis sat infront of him like obedient children. “Whoever left this back as a mock…was definitely the brawn and not the brain.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Can anybody tell me how I know that?”

“Can you just fix the damn thing, _sir_?” Jack asked. Jarvis raised his hand.

“Yes, Jarvis?”

“Because whoever left this crushed it but obviously did not destroy the vital components. We can put them into new hardware. It’ll be good as new.”

“Very good,” Howard said and Jack rolled his eyes.

“Can you fix it?”

“Of course I can. I’m the greatest mind of America.”

“Great.”

—

(Y/N) regained consciousness. The guards were still standing guard at the door, but except for them, the room was empty. (Y/N) was feeling weak. Naturally. She felt weaker than she ever had. Her head was spinning. She looked up, at the guards.

“Can I get a little water, please?” she asked. The guards just looked at her with a blank expression. “You’re rude.”

(Y/N) very desperately needed to get out of here. She knew Jack would figure it out, though. She just had to be patient. Patience could be the greatest virtue-or something. (Y/N) didn’t have time to recall what the saying was because that exact second, there was a loud thud, a bang, followed by gunshots. The guards’ expressions changed. FINALLY. (Y/N) was starting to think they were statues. Wait-where they under attack? But…that was a good thing for (Y/N).

Never mind. She couldn’t think. Her brains would spill out. She quietly slipped a dagger into her hand, from the table. There were a lot of gunshots. Like, a lot. (Y/N) was pretty sure she was high. The door opened. To (Y/N)’s disappointment, it was the English man. (Y/N) groaned and he sent her a dirty look. (Y/N) had no idea what happened. Just that, in a flash, the English man was standing behind her, a gun pointed at her head.

The door got broken down from the outside. (Y/N) couldn’t lean forward for a better view, unless she didn’t want to continue to exist.

Jack. Of course, it was Jack. Dumbass.

He shot the guards before anyone could blink their eyes. He turned his gun to the English man but froze as he saw the position they were in.

“Go on. Shoot me,” the English man said, re-positioning the gun on (Y/N)’s temple. “You can’t do it, can you?”

“Let her go,” Jack said, his voice low. The English man chuckled.

(Y/N), in her weak state, did the most she could, and thrust the dagger into the English man’s thigh. He howled in pain. Jack took advantage of the situation and knocked him out, before rushing to (Y/N)’s side. She was slipping in and out of consciousness.

“What have they done to you?” Jack whispered, as he pulled his handkerchief out and tried to wipe away the blood. He didn’t want to think about what they’d done.

“That’s a lovely re-union,” a voice behind him said. Jack turned around, immediately. He knew who that was. Jack raised his gun, but before either of the two could shoot, someone knocked Thomas out from behind.

Sousa. His crutch sure had uses other than walking.

“A thank you would be nice,” he commented dryly.

“She’s not alright,” Jack said. “I’ll take (Y/N). You take Manfredi. We have a score to settle.”

—

“I could give you the carrot, but I won’t. Not after what you’ve done to (Y/N),” Jack said, as Thomas sat, cuffed to the interrogation room table.

“You love her,” Thomas said, smirking at Jack.

“Just take the damn stick,” Jack said, neither agreeing, nor denying. He didn’t know who was standing on the other side of the one-way mirror.

“The deal was to hand over your brother-”

“Cousin, but, alright. Go on.”

“And in change, (Y/N) wouldn’t be harmed.”

“Yup.”

“You tortured her. I returned Joseph Manfredi, and you tortured her.”

“Oh, I didn’t touch her after you returned Joe. That was just some motivation for you. Seemed to work, didn’t it?” Jack rolled his eyes, before placing the dagger that was used to try and kill (Y/N), on the table.

“Whose is it?”

“Oh. It’s mine,” Thomas said, casually. Jack only saw red. “I was seriously disappointed when I found out that she survived. I even have plans to ensure that she doesn’t survive next time. I’ll-”

His sentence was cut short. He looked down, surprised. His very own dagger, right in his chest. Jack’s hand was still clamped around the hilt. Jack abruptly stood up, and made his way out of the interrogation room.

“We need medics in the interrogation room,” he heard Sousa say. Peggy followed him.

“Thompson, you just killed a man in custody,” she said, her tone was accusing. Why was it accusing? Didn’t she hear everything that man said?

“I’m going to Stark’s place. I need to talk to (Y/N).”

—

“Hey,”(Y/N) whispered, as Jack walked into her room.

“Hi,” he said, as he sat dwon at the foot of her bed. “How’re you holding up?”

“I’ve had worse,” (Y/N) said, making Jack chuckle. (Y/N) noticed his expression. “What did you do?”

“Nothing.”

“Come on. I know you, Jack.”

“Yeah. My bad,” Jack said, sighing. “I killed him. Thomas Manfredi.”

“What? Jack, you can’t just kill a man in custody.”

“You didn’t hear what he said.”

“What did he say?”

“The knife that was used to ‘kill’ you…”

“Dagger.”

“It belonged to him,” Jack said.

“Oh, Jack,” (Y/N) looked at him, pitifully, sitting up and pulling him close to her.

“And he said that he was disappointed that you survived. And the look on his face when he said that…”

“Jack, it’s alright. You don’t have to tell me what he said,” (Y/N) wrapped him in a hug, and he just sat there, comforted by the feeling of her fingers running through his hair, her steady breathing calming him down. “Jack, it’s alright.”

“It’s not. But I know it’ll be.”

“It will.”

“Why? Because I’m awesome?”

“Because _I’m_ awesome.”


	14. The English Man

**_Two weeks later_ **

“Morning,” (Y/N) said, as she walked into the living room. Honestly, Jack should have been the one sleeping in the bed (it was his house), but (Y/N) had managed to guilt trip him when he suggested that (Y/N) sleep on the couch. What? Jack’s couch was made of rocks. She still had an injury. It didn’t hurt, at all, but Jack didn’t need to know that. She saw Jack sitting on the kitchen counter, eating Cheeri-Oats. She walked up to him. “Sorry.”

“‘Bout what?”

“Guilt tripping you into taking the couch.”

“Oh, yeah. That was alright,” Jack said, shrugging it off. But (Y/N) caught the slight wince when he said it.

“Your back hurts,” (Y/N) observed, plopping onto the counter, as Jack handed her a bowl of Cheeri-Oats.

“A little,” Jack admitted, as (Y/N) poured milk into the cereal bowl.

“Sorry,” (Y/N) apologized, again. “But, you need to get a new couch.”

“I do,” Jack agreed. “I’ll go take a bath.”

“Sure,” (Y/N) said. “I’ll do the dishes.”

“That’s one of the best things you’ve said in a while,” Jack said, walking towards the bathroom. (Y/N) looked at him. He was adorable. Her art-appreciation was interrupted by the ringing of the telephone. She sloppily got off the kitchen counter, and made her way towards the foyer.

“(Y/N) (L/N),” she said, picking the phone up.

“Chie…(L/N)?”

“Uh-huh.”

“This is Agent Fox. Can I talk to the chief?”

“No, you cannot. Anything important?”

“Just wondering. Chief’s usually here early. I had some stuff to discuss.”

“Chief Thompson is on a leave for today.”

“Oh? And you, (L/N)?”

“None of your business, Agent Fox,” (Y/N) replied, putting the receiver down and making her way to the kitchen. She was mid-way through cleaning, when Jack walked into the kitchen, his hair wet, shirtless. (Y/N) had to hide her blush. She didn’t know why. She had seen him shirtless a couple of times before. He just-Damn, his muscles.

“What’re you being so slow for? Don’t plan on going to work, today?”

“I don’t, actually. I called in a leave.”

“Who’d you call in a leave to?”

“Agent Fox.”

“What’re you going to do, alone?”

“Oh, right. You’re not going, either.”

“What?”

“You’ve been overworking yourself,” (Y/N) said, washing her hands, and drying them with a towel. “Ever since I got back from those guys.”

“(Y/N), I’m doing it to protect you. The sooner I figure out what’s going on, I’ll have them down and you’ll be safe.”

“And what about your safety?” (Y/N) asked, placing a hand on his shoulder, barely avoiding to take a peek at his abs.

“Doesn’t matter.”

“YES, IT DOES!”

“I am going.”

“You absolutely aren’t.”

“Yes. I am.”

—

“I still think I should be at work,” Jack said, as (Y/N) massaged his shoulders and he read her a book.

“Oh yeah? But you’re comfortable.”

“That doesn’t prove anything.”

“Sure.”

“They’ll get the wrong idea,” Jack said, making (Y/N) roll her eyes.

“That’s their job. Let them.”

“We should visit Gam-Gam today.”

“That’s an option,” (Y/N) said, smiling at him. “If we leave in an hour, we can reach by noon, and stay the night and leave early tomorrow morning. We’ll be back in time for work.”

“Perfect.”

—

Jack smiled as he approached Gam-Gam’s bed. (Y/N) stood outside, talking to John and Giana. He stole a glance, before turning back to Gam-Gam. She was looking at him, with a slight smile.

“You need to man up,” she said.

“What?” Jack asked. She couldn’t have noticed-

“It’s very obvious,” Gam-Gam said. Jack raised a brow. Gam-Gam knew the fine arts of spying. (She didn’t. Jack and (Y/N) are just very oblivious.)

“Gam-Gam, I have no idea-”

“If I die-”

“Gam-Gam, don’t-”

“Jack, don’t interrupt. I’m not scared to die. But, I think…before I die, I’d like to see you both…together.”

“Gam-Gam,” he sighed. “She doesn’t think of me as anything more than a friend.”

“But do you?”

“I-I think I might love her.”

“Exactly. And I’m sure she does, too,” Gam-Gam said, smiling, as Jack looked out at (Y/N), with a look of adoration. (Y/N) felt his gaze on her, and looked up, smiling widely at him and he smiled back. “Send her in.”

“What?” Jack turned back to Gam-Gam. “Oh. No, no, no. Gam-Gam, don’t tell her. Please.”

“I’ll not tell her. Just send her in,” Gam-Gam said. Jack hesitantly nodded. He walked out. Gam-Gam saw him whisper something to (Y/N). She nodded at him, before making her way into the hospital room.

“Gam-Gam! How’re you feeling?”

“Better without all the nurses,” Gam-Gam said. “But I noticed something.”

“Oh…what did you notice?”

“I see the way you look at him,” Gam-Gam said, smiling at (Y/N)’s flustered state. “Trust me, he looks at you the same way.”

“No-Gam-Gam…you’re just imagining it. It’s probably the painkillers. Maybe they gave you a little higher does then your usual,” (Y/N) flustered.

“(Y/N), I’ve looked at Jack’s grandfather the same way. And I’ve seen Giana look at John the same way.”

“No, Gam-Gam…” (Y/N) was absolutely not comfortable discussing this with Gam-Gam.

“It’s okay, (Y/N). I know it,” Gam-Gam said, holding onto (Y/N)’s hand. (Y/N) sighed, knowing there was no use denying.

“I don’t think he feels the same,” (Y/N) said, looking out at Jack, longingly. Had he always looked this attractive from behind?

“He does,” Gam-Gam said.

“But he-”

“He’s my grandson. I know him better than he knows himself.”

—

“Jack,” (Y/N) called out, as she knocked at his office door.

“Come in,” he said. (Y/N) opened the door and walked in, a file in her hand. She locked the door behind her and drew the blinds.

“I was looking through some old SSR files for anything that might help with the case, seeing as we have no leads after you killed Thomas Manfredi-”

“He tried to kill you.”

“And guess what I found?”

“Some magic spell that can kill me?”

“Unfortunately, no,” (Y/N) said.

“That hurt.”

“You’ll live,” (Y/N) said, placing the file on Jack’s desk. “I found out who the English man was.”

Jack picked the file up and opened it. There was a picture of the man that had taken (Y/N) hostage. His eyes widened when he read the name.

 _Michael Carter_.


	15. He loved her

“Michael Carter? As in, brother of Margaret Carter?”

“That’s what it says in the file.”

“He’s supposed to be dead.”

“Well…so are we.”

“No, but that’s different. We survived. He’s officially dead. He didn’t survive.”

“He did, apparently.”

“How?”

“I mean, maybe he didn’t die in the first place. The file says they never found a body.”

“There’s a couple of people whose bodies were never found. Doesn’t mean that they’re all alive.”

“Like?”

“James Buchanan Barnes, Howling Commando. Captain America.”

“Yeah…that’s unlikely.”

“Whatever,” Jack rolled his eyes. “I think it’s best we keep this silent. I don’t want this to get out. Especially not to Marge, or she’ll ruin the entire case.”

“She never ruins anything. You are the one who messes up.”

“You can’t disagree. This is too personal for her.”

“It’s personal to me, too. It was personal to you too. You killed Thomas Manfredi.”

“Can you drop that already? Are you this kind to everyone who kills your attempted killer?”

“Jack, he was in custody. You’re so damn lucky that you didn’t get locked up for killing him.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Next time, I’ll let him break out and kill you, before killing him.”

“Jack, you’re just proving my point. And you know what? When I found out who shot you, I will kill him, too. I am enraged at whoever shot you. This case is personal to both of us. Peggy shouldn’t be an exception.”

“It’s different, (Y/N). We’re on the same side. He is not,” Jack said, as he sighed and stood up. He walked towards (Y/N) and placed a hand on her shoulder. “I want to see him suffer for what he did to you. He held you at gunpoint. And you know your condition when we got you out. Can you imagine what Marge will go through when she finds out it was her brother?”

“She’s stronger than you think,” (Y/N) said, looking into his eyes.

“Yes, she is. You are too. But, if the roles were reversed. If I was running amok, instead of Carter’s brother, would you want Marge to tell you that it was me? Would you like knowing that she wanted to see me suffer? Would you like to know that we were on opposite sides?” (Y/N) looked up at Jack, a sad look in her eyes. And personal space? Never heard of it.

“I wouldn’t want to know,” (Y/N) admitted. “But I would need to. It would be better than stumbling upon it.”

“Alright. Tell me this…if I was completely out of control…would you put a bullet in my head? Would you do it without once considering the possibility that I can still be redeemed?”

“I-Jack, please don’t-”

“Just answer the question,” he said.

“I wouldn’t,” (Y/N) confessed. “I would look onto the possibility of redemption. Wouldn’t you do the same for me?”

“I would. That is my point. Anyone would do it for someone close to them. And this is her brother.”

“Maybe he _does_ deserve redemption.”

“What-(Y/N) don’t be an idiot.”

“I’m not being an idiot.”

“He had you kidnapped. He watched as Manfredi tortured you. He held you at gunpoint, and those are just the things we know. He did something much worse for the Manfredi’s to be so scared of him.”

“Jack, If I-”

“(Y/N), just trust me on this. Please,” Jack whispered, desperately. (Y/N) couldn’t argue with the look in his eyes. She slowly nodded. He smiled at her. “Thank you.”

She placed a quick kiss on his cheek, before walking out of the office. He had to sit down to calm his pulse. Why did she have such an effect on him? And why wasn’t he scared?

—

“(L/N),” a familiar and annoying voice called. (Y/N) groaned, not even trying to hide it, and turned around.

“Yes, Agent Fox?”

“Yesterday you were at Chief’s house when I called.”

“I was, wasn’t I?”

“And you both called in a day off.”

“Oh, did we, now?”

“It got me thinking-”

“That’s a progress.”

“That you both are sleeping together.”

“Excuse you?” (Y/N) knew this was coming, but it didn’t make it any less embarrassingly. (It was kinda a huge thing back then.)

“You heard me.”

“Yeah. Sure. We’re sleeping together. We’re, in fact, so close that he got a backache because he had to sleep on the couch, because he respects limits and allowed me to sleep on the bed.” (Y/N) guilt tripped him into sleeping on the couch, but Fox didn’t need to know that.

“What were you even doing at his house, in the first place?”

“How’s it any of your business, Fox?” Jack’s voice cut in.

“No, Chief, I just…”

“Get to work and leave (L/N) alone.”

“Yes, chief,” Fox said, before walking back into the bullpen. He sat down at his desk, and announced, what he thought (Y/N) and Jack didn’t hear. “They’re definitely sleeping together.”

“I told you they’d get the wrong idea,” Jack sighed, turning to (Y/N).

“I could just, accidentally poison his food. His death will be very mysterious,” (Y/N) said, slyly. Jack shot her a horrified look. “Come on, Jack. I was joking.”

“Thank god, you were.”

“Or was I?”

—

(Y/N) and Jack might as well have been living in the same house at this point. They were sleeping at (Y/N)’s, with Jack on the couch and (Y/N) on the bed. It was mainly because they needed to look out for each other. But, also, having each other close…they both really liked that.

Jack was peacefully drifting when he was woken up by a scream. (Y/N). He quickly stood up from the couch, which was probably not the best idea, considering the fact that he was particularly sleepy. He quickly grabbed his gun (Guns in the 40’s were fucking weird, y’all) and made his way towards the bedroom. As he slowly pushed the door open, he noticed the room empty, except for (Y/N), sitting on her bed. He slowly lowered his gun, placing it on the bedside. He got a closer look at her. She had sweat trickling down her forehead and tear tracks on her cheeks.

Oh. A nightmare.

He slowly sat down beside her. She scooted over a little. He extended a shaky arm forward, and when she didn’t resist, he placed it on her shoulder. She looked up at him. Her breathing was shaky. Jack cupped her face, before pulling her into his chest.

“You can talk about it when you want to,” Jack said, as he ran a comforting hand down her back. He could hear her slight sniffling. “You can cry. I’m here. If you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to.”

“It was…the same one,” she sobbed out. Jack knew which one she was talking about. It had been a while since she had that nightmare. Her father’s death. Or atleast finding out about her father’s death during the war. She was not very old, barely five. But she still remembered how it felt when her mother told her that her father wasn’t coming back. It was haunting. And after that, her mother had shut herself off, before her death, ten years later. It was the worst day of her life. She used to be happy. Their entire family used to be really happy. But ever since her father died, everything broke down.

“(Y/N), it’s alright. No one’s going to hurt you or anyone you care about, anymore,” Jack whispered, as she clutched onto his shirt.

“Promise me you’ll be alright,” she whispered. He felt his heart break.

“I promise,” he said, nonetheless. He fetched her pills from the bedside. “You didn’t take them tonight, did you?”

“No. I just thought that I was so tired, and so sleepy. I thought I could manage without ‘em. I guess not.”

“Oh, (Y/N), it’s alright,” Jack said, before handing the pills, along with water. “Go on.”

“Sorry for waking you up,” (Y/N) said, swallowing the pills, and laying down. Jack smiled at her.

“It’s alright,” he replied, before laying down, wrapping his arms around her smaller frame. (Y/N) slowly drifted off, his steady heartbeat calming her down, considerably. And at that moment, he accepted it.

He loved her.


	16. Reckless

(Y/N) slowly blinked her eyes open, and came face to face with a still asleep Jack. She smiled at his peaceful expression. He looked so magical, with his hair messed up and all. She shouldn’t be staring. It was creepy. But he just looked so…

He stirred a little. (Y/N) panicked. Should she get up? No, that would be abrupt. (Y/N) shut her eyes. She heard him squirm and felt him sit up.

“(Y/N)?” She didn’t open her eyes. She heard him sigh, before feeling his hand cup her jaw. “It’s okay. Get all the rest you need.”

A few minutes after Jack had left the bedroom, she got up. She could hear him messing around in the kitchen. She smiled at him as she walked in.

“Morning,” she whispered.

“Oh, hey,” he said. She saw him quickly hide something behind his back. (Y/N) ignored it. “Would you like to take a bath?”

“In all the years that you’ve known me, have I ever taken a bath before having breakfast?”

“Well, there’s always a first time,” Jack said, making (Y/N) raise a brow.

“What’s that, Jack?” (Y/N) asked, motioning to whatever he was hiding behind his back.

“Nothing,” he replied, quickly. (Y/N) looked at him suspiciously. He nervously chuckled. (Y/N) went to grab his arm, but he side-stepped and she stumbled a little.

“Jack…”

“It’s nothing, really.”

“Your expression says otherwise.”

“(Y/N), it’s just…you know what? Fine! Fine, here you go,” Jack said, handing (Y/N) the sheet of paper. It looked old and yellow and worn down. (Y/N) tried to read what it said, catching Jack looking down at the ground, from her peripheral vision. It was a…recipe?

“What’s this?”

“That’s your mom’s soup recipe,” Jack grumbled.

“I-”

“I thought it would be a nice surprise. Your mom made the best soup.”

“Oh, Jack,” (Y/N) immediately felt guilty.

“But your nosy self had to ruin it.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” (Y/N) said. “You know what? I’ll just go back to bed, yeah? I’ll just pretend like I didn’t find out. That’s good?”

“That’s-”

“Great,” (Y/N) squealed, placing a soft kiss on his cheek, before walking back into the bedroom.

“You know that’s not how surprises work, right?”

—

“It’s delicious, Jack. Really,” (Y/N) complimented, as they sat on the couch, sipping at the Asparagus soup.

“Yeah. Whatever,” Jack grumbled.

“Hey. Cheer up. I never knew you could cook.”

“It’s the first and last time. Don’t get used to it,” Jack said, making (Y/N) chuckle, and-oh well, her laugh has always been contagious. They sat silent for a few minutes, sipping at their soup. Jack interrupted the silence. “Are we just not going to talk about it?”

“About what?”

“You know what,” Jack said, shaking his head. “It’s been really long since you had that nightmare.”

“I suppose I was just thinking about him yesterday.”

“You think about him everyday. What was different yesterday?”

“Peggy’s brother was presumed dead but turned out not to be, right?”

“(Y/N)…”

“Maybe he’s still out there.”

“(Y/N),” Jack sighed, placing his bowl on the table, and wrapping an arm over (Y/N)’s shoulder. “Don’t do this to yourself.”

“Jack, it’s possible.”

“They found his body.”

“They did,” (Y/N) sighed. “I’m sorry. It just got me thinking.”

“It’s alright,” Jack consoled. “You needed to get it off your mind. And you did.”

“I just…I still miss him.”

“And there’s nothing wrong with that.”

“But he’d want me to move on.”

“He would,” Jack agreed. “Now, get up and get your ass to work.”

“Yes, chief.”

—

“You called?” (Y/N) asked, walking into Jack’s office.

“I did,” Jack nodded. “Shut the door.”

“What is it?” (Y/N) asked, after she locked the door behind her.

“I think I have a lead,” Jack handed her a file. She took it and read it. Her brow raised higher with every word.

“It’s not plausible, Jack,” (Y/N) said, placing the file back onto his desk. “It’s very fishy.”

“(Y/N), we don’t have any other leads on this.”

“We’re not doing this.”

“I think we should.”

“I don’t.”

—

“This is a bad idea,” (Y/N) said, as she hid behind a boulder. And she really, desperately wanted to focus on the mission, but he just stood there, his body pressed up against her. It was hard to focus, alright?

“Trust me.”

“It’s not like Michael Carter, who’s living in L.A, by the way, is gonna come here for a stroll.”

“It’s from a trusted source.”

“Oh really? What might that source be?”

“…My spy skills?”

“Not very trusted, then.”

“Ouch.”

“Hey,” (Y/N) whispered.

“What?” Jack asked. (Y/N) shushed him, before pointing towards a man that just walked into a suspicious looking car. “I told ya. Trusted source.”

“No. Wait. Look,” (Y/N) motioned to two more cars driving towards the suspicious looking one. (Y/N)’s heartbeat picked up. Jack’s eyes widened.

“Oh, shit.”

“They’re setting up a trap,” (Y/N) stated the obvious. “They know we’re here.”

“Yeah. Thanks. I was really wondering why they’re setting a trap,” Jack sassed. “Thank god you’re here, or I wouldn’t have known what was happening.”

“Sarcasm not appreciated.”

“You got a better option? We can’t let them take us both.”

“Oh, thanks. I was really wondering whether surrendering was an option.”

“No. Are you out of your mind?”

“Sarcasm, dumbass.”

“Oh.”

“They are clearly amateurs,” (Y/N) observed.

“How does that help?”

“Are you kidding me? That does everything,” (Y/N) said, looking at Jack with a disbelieving look. “They don’t have us surrounded. You spot them anywhere else?”

“No,” Jack said, after looking around a bit.

“So we just need to get to their car and blow it up,” (Y/N) said, casually.

“And how do you plan on doing that?” Jack asked. (Y/N) smirked, before holding up a-WAS THAT A GRENADE? “IS THAT A GRENADE?”

“Wow. Look, you’re smart now,” (Y/N) said, deflecting the question right off. She looked at the cars again, taking note of their position. She took a deep breath, before turning to Jack. She smiled, slightly. “Cover me.”

“What?” Jack barely had time to comprehend, before (Y/N) ran out, from behind the boulder, INTO THE LINE OF FIRE. “ARE YOU MAD?”

Jack quickly began shooting at the people. There were too many of them. They, luckily, had their attention diverted towards Jack shooting at them. If they got out of here, he would file a lawsuit against (Y/N). Definitely. How many times had that woman almost given him a heart-attack?

A few more gunshots later, (Y/N) finally reached the car. Or as close as she could while hiding behind something. They really were amateurs. They just noticed Jack and kept shooting at him, while she made her way behind. But only because they were amateurs. Otherwise, it was an awful plan.

He saw (Y/N) roll the grenade as close to their cars as she could. That didn’t go unnoticed. Thank god. Jack was starting to think they were children.

“GRENADE!” one of them yelled.

“GET OUT OF THERE!” Jack yelled.

“YEAH, I’M NOT DUMB,” he heard her yell. She barely made it out of the blast radius, before the grenade blew. He looked at her as she rushed back to him with a ridiculous, dumb, crazy, beautiful smile. “We did it. Plus, we also get to collect any clues the grenade left.”

“You and I are going to have a long talk, once we get back to the SSR.”


	17. The Fight

“What’re you being so rude for?” (Y/N) asked, when Jack slightly shoved her into his office.

“You almost got killed,” Jack said.

“But I didn’t die, did I?”

“You might as well have.”

“I’m sorry, what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Just get out, please,” Jack said, motioning to the door. (Y/N) looked at him, slightly surprised. “You know what? Just go home for the day.”

“You can’t just always say that whenever you want to avoid an argument.”

“I can, actually.”

“You’re the worst,” (Y/N) grumbled, before walking out, gathering her stuff from the table and heading home, early, for the second time in the past two months. All because of Jack Thompson. God, he was an asshole. A charming asshole, but an asshole, nonetheless.

That night, they both lay in their respective beds, staring at their ceilings.

_**Maybe he’d been a little too harsh on her.** _

Maybe she should have been more careful.

_**She did save both of their asses.** _

He only wanted to get the case solved as soon as possible.

_**He was the one who put both of them in danger, in the first place.** _

But he didn’t listen to her advice.

_**But she risked her life, without giving a single thought to what he would do without her.** _

He literally shoved her into his office and told her to leave early for the second time.

_**She stole a grenade from the armory.** _

But she loved him.

_**But he loved her.** _

But he didn’t.

_**But she didn’t.** _

—

(Y/N) glared into Jack’s office window. He was insufferable. He just handed half of the office’s filing work to her. How in the bloody hell was that fair? Maybe she shouldn’t have stolen the grenade. Or risked her life, but those were both issues that could be talked about. The solution wasn’t just burying her in paperwork. If he thought that not sending her on any field operations was going to make her realize her mistake, he didn’t know her as well as she thought he did.

“(L/N), some more paper work for you to file,” the annoying voice of Agent Fox cut into her trail of thoughts, as he placed a file on her desk. “From the chief’s office. I picked it up for ya.”

“How generous of you, Fox,” (Y/N) snapped.

“You and the chief going through a rough spot?” he said, chuckling. Oh, he thought he was amusing.

“I don’t see how that should concern you, Fox.”

“What’s the matter? Not good enough in bed?” Fox said. (Y/N) almost smashed his skull against her table.

“Get to work and leave her alone,” Jack’s voice cut in. He was standing against his doorframe, arms crossed and glaring at Fox. Fox gulped.

“Yes, chief,” Fox said, meekly. He, of course, didn’t expect to see Jack, considering that he’d been locked up in his office, the moment (Y/N) had entered the bullpen.

“Jack,” she called out, getting up. She really needed to talk to him.

“I don’t want to be disturbed until lunch,” Jack said. “Unless it’s an emergency. And by emergency, I mean. Life-threatening situations. Some of you seem to be too fond of them.”

“Wait,” (Y/N) called him, when he started walking back into his office. But, he had already walked into the office. “Jack!”

“(L/N), I think you should keep that stuff to your beds. Too personal for the office,” Walter said.

“Eat shit, Walter.”

—

“Chief,” (Y/N) heard when she walked towards Jack’s office for his lunch order. Being herself, she stopped to eavesdrop.

“What is it, Walter?” she heard Jack ask. He sounded very irritated.

“Remember when you told us that we should try provoking (L/N? That that’d be enough reason to suspend her?”

“Walter, that-”

“I tried. She told me to ‘Eat shit.’ That qualify as a reason?”

“Walter, can I say something?”

“Chief?”

“Something from the bottom of my heart?”

“I-”

“Eat shit,” Jack deadpanned. (Y/N) had to cover her mouth to stop herself from bursting out laughing.

“Chief-”

“And also, how many times have I told you that she’s quite the eavesdropper?” Jack asked. She could almost hear the smirk on his face when he said that. Bastard. (Y/N) smiled a little, before making her way into Jack’s office. Walter’s eyes widened when he saw her.

“What can I get you for lunch, Chief?” she asked, with a sickly sweet smile.

“I’ll decide. I haven’t yet. Come back in five minutes, will ya?”

“Yes, chief.”

(Y/N) and Jack had rarely seen something as priceless as the look on Walter’s face.


	18. The confession

“(L/N),” Watson called out. (Y/N) looked up at him with a ‘What now?’ look. “Chief wants you in his office.”

“Oh. Alright,” (Y/N) said, standing up with a sigh. It had been about a fortnight since (Y/N) had saved both their asses, and Jack had gotten mad, for some awful reason. He still hadn’t talked to her, and (Y/N) was starting to contemplate whether she was actually in the wrong. She knocked at Jack’s office door.

“Come in,” she heard. She walked into the office, before shutting the door behind her and locking it.

“You called?”

“I did,” Jack said. “Not something very specific, really. I just wanted to tell you…I was thinking about transferring you.”

“What?”

“Yeah. Carter and Sousa really want some help with the Dottie Underwood case. You know how Sousa’s office is basically empty.”

“You can’t transfer me to L.A. Not permanently,” (Y/N) said, looking at him with a disbelieving look.

“Yes, I can,” Jack snapped. “Stop telling me what I can and can’t do.”

“All of this because of what I did?”

“Yes, that is exactly why. Look, I cannot handle you. You are a major pain in the ass. And not in a good way.”

“If you think I’m going to apologize for what I did, then you can go to hell.”

“You see? This is exactly why,” Jack said, standing up. “You are out of my control.”

“I saved your sorry ass, the other day.”

“And nearly got yourself killed. You know that if you ever die, it’s gonna be on me. I’ll be the one who got you killed.”

“Oh, so, you don’t care about me dying? You care about what people will say if I die?”

“I never said that.”

“No, I get it.”

“What you did was very, very reckless.”

“I saved us. What other option do you think I had? What else do you think I could have done?”

“You’re just being a reckless, selfish, and insufferable bitch, you know that?”

“Don’t ever call me that, again,” (Y/N) snapped.

“Can we get to the part where you stole a grenade?”

“What’s such a big deal with that?”

“A grenade, you understand? They have a ring. You pull the ring, throw them and they explode, KILLING EVERYONE AROUND THEM.”

“Why does it even matter?”

“It all does. You could have died, (Y/N). Died. You understand that?”

“Why am I getting scolded for this? You are the one who completely ignored my advice. I told you there was something fishy with the lead. You are the reason we got into such a situation. Why didn’t you listen to me?”

“BECAUSE I LOVE YOU!”

“What?” (Y/N) paused, her hands frozen in mid-air, her mouth slightly open in surprise.

“BECAUSE I LOVE YOU. And you don’t care. You don’t care at all and you are so selfish. You plummet head-first into danger, without thinking twice about what I’d do without you. You have no idea how panicked I was when they kidnapped you. And I never wanted for that to happen, ever again. And I’m trying to wrap this case up as soon as possible. But, do you think it will mean anything if you go get yourself killed? You do everything so recklessly and I still love you. And I’m completely okay with it, for some reason, but sometimes you’re just so-”

Jack’s statement was cut off when (Y/N) placed her lips on his. He froze, as his eyes widened. He’d wanted to do this for so long. His eyelids slowly fluttered shut, kissing her back. Her lips were slightly chapped and she smelled like chocolate and mint. Their lips moved in sync, as if they were made for each other in the first place. He was sure that her hand, which was placed gently on his chest, could feel his heartbeat pick up. Her other hand was at the base of his neck. His right hand was wrapped around her waist, as his left hand cupped her cheek.

They poured out all the emotions that they had ever felt for each other.

Love, Hate, Adoration, Anger, Concern.

They filtered nothing.

When air became a problem, (Y/N) slowly leaned back. He still had an arm wrapped around her waist, as she looked into his eyes, breathless. She was gonna be the death of him.

There was a knock at Jack’s office window. Jack’s eyes widened and (Y/N) suddenly became flustered. They’d forgotten the blinds. They both turned to see Agent Fox looking very, very embarrassed, as the entirety of the New York SSR paused their work and stared into the Chief’s office. Shit.

“Ummm…I…We-I’ll leave for the day,” (Y/N) stuttered, before making her way out of Jack’s office. She quickly grabbed her stuff from her desk, before making her way out of the ‘Phone Company.’

Damn, what a great kisser he was.

—

That night, (Y/N) sat on the couch, thinking about what Jack had said. Till yesterday, she wouldn’t have said it out loud. But today…she had new factors to consider. That was it. She loved him. He was an insufferable asshole, but she loved him. When she heard a knock at her door, she quickly stood up. She looked through the peep hole, and her heartbeat slightly quickened. He looked nervous. She didn’t blame him. She felt nervous too. She opened the door and let him in.

“Hey,” he whispered.

“Hi,” she smiled at him. He smiled back. She locked the door and made her way to the living room, as Jack followed.

“About what happened today-” he started.

“I love you too,” she blurted, cutting him off. He paused and looked at her. “I thought I made that pretty clear.”

“I thought that was a spur of the moment,” Jack admitted.

“It wasn’t,” (Y/N) assured.

“So, you…I…I’m sorry, I’m just…I’m so flustered,” Jack stuttered. (Y/N) chuckled. She walked up to him, and placed a kiss on his lips. This kiss was softer, more gentle and slower than the first. Jack felt himself melt into the kiss. (Y/N) pulled away too quickly for his liking.

“You have some drool,” (Y/N) teased.

“Sorry,” Jack flustered. “I just-You’re perfect.”

“You’re not so bad, yourself,” (Y/N) said, with a slight smirk. “Dinner?”

“Yeah,” Jack nodded. “I didn’t have anything before I got here.”

“Of course you didn’t,” (Y/N) said, shaking her head. “Chicken?”

“Yeah. Chicken would be great,” Jack nodded. (Y/N) made her way to the kitchen, and Jack just looked at her. It would be great if his heart stopped beating so fast.


	19. Dating

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to calling you a pet name,” (Y/N) said. Jack laughed. They were currently sitting on the bonnet of Jack’s car, watching the sunset.

“I don’t think so, either.”

“Like, can you just imagine me calling you ‘Darling’ or something?”

“Geez, no. I can’t.”

“I never thought we’d be doing this,” (Y/N) said, smiling, as she turned to look at Jack.

“I really like the way your hand fits perfectly into mine,” Jack said, squeezing (Y/N)’s hand.

“You’re an idiot,” (Y/N) said, shaking her head, blushing.

“Your idiot.”

“You’re enjoying this a little too much,” (Y/N) said as she looked at the sun setting. “I never realized how beautiful the Sun looks.”

“Yeah. Really beautiful,” Jack said, as he looked at (Y/N). She always looked so beautiful when the sunlight hit her like that. He smiled as he saw the sunset reflect in her eyes. And he missed the sunset, because he was too busy looking at her.

She was prettier than a hundred sunsets combined, either way.

—

“Quite a show you put up yesterday, (L/N),” Watson commented, when (Y/N) walked into the SSR, next morning.

“No one asked you to look,” (Y/N) snapped.

“Just saying,” he said, before turning back to his work. Almost as soon as (Y/N) sat down at her desk, her phone rung. She picked it up.

“Agent (Y/N) (L/N).”

“Hey, (Y/N). It’s Peggy.”

“Peggy? Hi.”

“I called Thompson yesterday. Some Agent Watson picked up. Said he had left a little early.”

“Oh, I wonder why.”

“And I heard something about the two of you fornicating in his office.”

“Alright. Hold up!” (Y/N) exclaimed. A few agents looked up from their work at the volume of her voice. “We weren’t fornicating. I just kissed him.”

“Well,” Peggy sounded thoroughly disappointed. “These boys do have a habit of exaggerating.”

“Yes, they do.”

“But I’m sure that kissing won’t take long, before turning into fornicating.”

“Anything important you’d like to talk about, Peggy?” (Y/N) asked. She heard Peggy chuckle, before the line went dead. (Y/N) shook her head, before getting back to work.

“(Y/N),” Jack’s voice called out. (Y/N) looked up from her work. Jack was leaning against the doorframe. The first thing she noticed probably shouldn’t have been his rolled up sleeves and his forearms, but oh-well. “In my office.”

“Yeah. Just a moment,” (Y/N) said, standing up. All the agents stared at her, either suspiciously or suggestively.

“Don’t have any work to do?” Jack asked. All of them looked away and went back to work. (Y/N) walked into the office and Jack shut the door behind her. (Y/N) went to draw the blinds. All the SSR agents were staring intently through the window. (Y/N) shot them a dirty look, and they got back to work, again. (Y/N) drew the blinds and turned to Jack with a questioning look.

“We’re going to Los Angeles,” he said.

“Why?”

“I’m thinking we’ll need to stay there for a while. You know, our only lead for the case is in Los Angeles.”

“That’s a valid point. But who’ll you leave in charge?”

“I-didn’t think about that.”

“What’d you ever do without me?”

“Crash and fall?”

“That’s putting it lightly.”

“I don’t trust many of them.”

“Watson?” (Y/N) suggested. Jack looked at her with a raised brow. “He’s an asshole, but I low-key trust him.”

“Well, whatever you say,” Jack said. “So, once we get there, we’ll look at that run-down where they took you. Carter called me. They’ve just emptied the place.”

“Oh? So you’re telling me that they hadn’t emptied it after you got me out?”

“No. They’re the mafia. People are scared of them. They know that we can’t just march in and take them.”

“Yeah. Point taken,” (Y/N) said. “We don’t have happy memories in Los Angeles, though.”

“We don’t,” Jack chuckled, standing up. “I think we should visit Gam-Gam before we leave.”

“Yeah, that’s a great idea,” (Y/N) said, as Jack stood infront of her. She was starting to get flustered by his close proximity. He leaned down and kissed her. She kissed back, moving her hands to his chest. He wrapped his arm around her waist. Her body curled into his, desperate to get as close to him as possible. His hand went into her hair, gently tugging at the strands. He deepened the kiss and she moaned. It drove him entirely crazy. But, he pulled away.

“We probably need to stop doing this here,” Jack said, as (Y/N) looked at him, more flustered than he had ever seen her. “I just-can’t get enough of you. And it’s still so surreal that you and I-you know…”

“Stop being charming with me,” (Y/N) said, blushing.

—

“Gam-Gam, how’re you feeling?” (Y/N) asked when she walked into the hospital room. Gam-Gam smiled at her.

“I’m feeling the same way I’ve been feeling for the last month. You tell me about how you are feeling,” Gam-Gam said, when (Y/N) sat down beside her. “Jack told me he finally manned up.”

“Oh, did he?”

“That true?”

“Partially,” (Y/N) said, not knowing how to explain. Thankfully, before she could, Jack entered the hospital room with Gam-Gam’s medicines.

“What’re you both talking about?” he asked, sauntering in, placing the bag of medicines on the table.

“Nothing,” (Y/N) said, quickly, as Jack moved another chair to sit beside Gam-Gam.

“What’s ‘partially’ supposed to mean?” Gam-Gam asked. Jack looked at (Y/N) with a raised brow.

“Well, he didn’t exactly tell me,” (Y/N) said, looking at Jack with a sheepish smile. “We were just having an argument and he just yelled it out.”

“Not the ideal way, I know. But it got the job done,” Jack said, looking at (Y/N) with a betrayed look. (Y/N) just shrugged.

“Do John and Giana know?” Gam-Gam asked. (Y/N) and Jack shook their heads. “Well, I expect to see you two get married.”

“GAM-GAM!” they both exclaimed, simultaneously.

“What?”

“We only started dating yesterday,” Jack said, exasperated.

“Your grandfather and I only knew each other for two months, before we got married.”

“Well, you were a unique pair,” Jack said, embarrassed. (Y/N) laughed.

—

“I’ll just go tell them their plane tickets came in postal,” Giana said. “I still don’t know why the Phone Company has them going to L.A.”

“Phone companies can be difficult,” John said. Giana shook her head, making her way up the stairs. She examined the tickets as she made her way towards Jack’s room. She probably should have knocked. The sight of her son canoodling his childhood best friend against a wall wasn’t ideal.

“WHAT IS HAPPENING?” Gianna yelled, when she opened the door. Jack and (Y/N) quickly sprung apart.

“I-”

“Mom-”

“Giana, we-”

“That-”

“How long has this been happening?” Giana asked.

“Not long,” Jack assured her. This was one of the most embarrassing situations (Y/N) had ever been in. I mean, come on, the woman just caught (Y/N) snogging her son’s face off. Jack and (Y/N) stood, expecting her to flip out.

“I expect grandchildren,” she said, instead.

“MOM!”

“GIANA!”

“Just saying,” Giana said. “Your plane tickets came in the post.”

“Thanks, mom,” Jack said, still slightly embarrassed.

“Thanks, Gi.”

—

“So…” John drawled on, that night at the dinner table. “Your mother caught you and (Y/N) fornicating in your bedroom.”

“Why does everyone keep saying that?”

“We were just kissing, dad,” Jack said.

“Something that I wasn’t aware of.”

“Dad,” (Y/N) sighed. “If we told you that we were going to be kissing in the bedroom, that would have made it very weird.”

“It would,” John said, after thinking about it. “So your visit to L.A. has nothing to do with the Phone Company, does it? You’re just looking for a getaway?”

“No, that’s for the Phone Company. Some of our friends, whose help we need for work got transferred a while back,” (Y/N) said.

“But now that you mention it…” Jack trailed off, looking at (Y/N) with that ridiculous smirk of his. (Y/N) wasn’t sure whether to kiss him, or bash his head against the table.

“We’re going for completely work-oriented reasons,” (Y/N) said, looking at Jack with a pointed look.

“Just stating all the possibilities.”


	20. The Arena Club Pin

“Peg, what was your relationship with your brother like?” (Y/N) asked, apparently out of the blue, as she walked to Peggy’s room.

“I-Where’d that come from?”

“Nothing. Just wondering,” (Y/N) said. “I’m sorry. That question was a little too personal. I shouldn’t have. You don’t need to answer that.”

“No. It’s alright,” Peggy said. “We-We were very close. He was the reason I joined.”

“Oh. Did he have a wife, or girlfriend?”

“No, he didn’t.”

“I-I’m genuinely sorry, Peggy.”

“He died in the war. His body was never found. It was on the day of my wedding. I called it off.”

“I’m terribly sorry, Peg. It must have been a really painful memory.”

“No. It’s alright.”

“My father died in the War, too. The First one.”

“I’m sorry about him, too,” Peggy said. (Y/N) nodded. She knew what she needed to.

“I’ll get out of your hair, now. Chasing Dottie Underwood couldn’t have been easy. You need to rest,” (Y/N) said, turning around and making her way to Jack’s room.

“Sometimes I think you intentionally want to walk in on me changing my clothes,” Jack said, when (Y/N) burst into his room. “Like, geez, woman. Ever heard of knocking?”

“You said that whoever…shot you…took the file you had on Peggy, right?” (Y/N) asked, sitting down on the opposite side of the bed.

“Yeah?” Jack said, more of a question, as he placed the book aside.

“What did the file say?”

“It was about something horrible she did during the war. A forgery, apparently,” Jack told.

“So…that’s it. I-I think that’s why Michael Carter had his man take that file.”

“I’m not catching on,” Jack said.

“Look…if you ever took turns, if you ever…turned bad, what would you do? What would your first aim be?”

“I…I would find some dirt on you.”

“And why is that?”

“…Because you’re my weakness.”

“Exactly. Michael Carter doesn’t have anyone special in his life. His one weakness is his sister. And he’s trying to find some dirt on her. Because he feels that she is the only one who can take him down.”

“I get where this is going.”

“And we’re certain it’s a forgery?”

“Uh-huh.”

“So he has nothing against Peggy. She needs to know. She can take him down.”

“(Y/N), I told you to trust me on this.”

“And I do, Jack. But-”

“Please, (Y/N). It will be harder for her, either way. You know what I’m saying, don’t you?”

“I do,” (Y/N) said, nodding. She then looked at the book Jack had been reading and changed the subject. “You’ve been reading?”

“Uh-No. I just-”

“What book is it?”

“The Heart is a Lonely Hunter.”

“I-I seriously didn’t know that was your genre.”

“It’s not,” Jack defended. “I was just seeing what’s so special about it. You love it, don’t you?”

“I do,” (Y/N) said, before an idea popped into her head. “Read to me?”

“What?”

“Read to me,” (Y/N) said, removing her shoes, and laying down, with her head in Jack’s lap.

“From the start?” Jack asked, looking down at her, as he caressed her hair.

“From the start,” (Y/N) nodded.

“Alright,” Jack sighed. He picked the book up and opened it. “ _In a town there were two mutes, and they were always together. Early every morning…_ ”

—

Jack smiled as he looked down at (Y/N). She was asleep. He slowly caressed her face. God, she was beautiful. He leaned down and placed a small kiss on her nose. He slowly lifted her head from his lap. She squirmed and he paused. When she didn’t move anymore, he gently set her head down on the pillow. He pulled the blanket over, as he lay, face-to-face with her. He smiled and let himself drift to sleep. The last thing he saw before falling asleep was (Y/N)’s face.

His girlfriend’s face.

—

Jack shot up at the sound of her scream. He turned to look at her. Under the slight moonlight, he could see her panicked expression, and her tear tracks. He turned to look at the time. Quarter to two. He turned back to her, placing an unsure hand on her shoulder. She jumped a little.

“Hey. It’s me,” he whispered.

“Jack?”

“Yeah, Darling. It’s me.”

“You’re alright!”

“Of course, I’m alright,” he said, pulling her into his chest. He could hear her sniffs. “You can cry. It’s alright.”

“Jack. You-They had you.”

“Shhh. You don’t have to tell me what it was,” Jack said, brushing his hand through her hair. He had really hoped she wouldn’t have more nightmares, but well… “Do you want to get some sleep?”

“Yeah,” she quickly muttered. Jack leaned over, as he got her sleeping pills. She quickly took them, before she lay down, again. Jack lay down too.

“Night,” he whispered, as she buried her face in his torso.

“Good night.”

—

(Y/N) stirred, as the sunlight entered through the window. She slowly sat up. Jack wasn’t in bed, but his side was still warm and smelled like him. She got up and made her way to the window. She pulled the curtains open to let more sunlight in.

“Oh, hey,” Jack said. (Y/N) turned around. He’d just taken a bath, and he looked goddamn attractive with a towel wrapped around his torso and his hair wet. “You’re awake.”

“I am,” (Y/N) said, in a slightly sing-song voice. Jack smiled. God, she was adorable. He walked up to her, placing a light peck on her lips. She smiled. It was all still so surreal. “So…Chief, what are we gonna do today?”

“It’ll depend on what we find after searching the place.”

“When do we leave?”

“Whenever you’re ready,” Jack said, smiling down at her.

“You know, you’re way too charming for your own good.”

“Only when I want to be,” Jack said, smirking. (Y/N) rolled her eyes. “Breakfast?”

“Yeah, but it’s Quarter to Seven. You think Ana’s awake?”

“I don’t know. We’ll just grab some Cheeri-Oats.”

“Get dressed, idiot,” (Y/N) said, lightly slapping his arm.

“Yes, ma’am,” Jack said with a mock salute. Once Jack was dressed and (Y/N) had brushed her teeth, they made their way to the dining room. (Y/N) and Jack slowly munched on Cheeri-Oats.

Ana wasn’t awake, yet and they couldn’t find milk, so they were just munching on Cheeri-Oats. Without milk.

“Peg and Daniel got custody of Dottie Underwood yesterday,” (Y/N) said. “They told you, didn’t they?”

“Oh, yeah. They told me. I almost forgot telling you. We’re getting custody of her.”

“What?”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t want custody of her,” (Y/N) whined.

“We don’t get to choose this stuff,” Jack said. “Sousa doesn’t have a lot of people at his office.”

“Seriously? The SSR LA is empty, isn’t it?”

“It’s a work in progress,” Jack joked.

—

“I feel like this is a trap,” (Y/N) said. (Y/N) and Jack were currently examining the now abandoned building with flashlights. “They couldn’t have just left the place like this.”

“(N/N), they’re the mafia. They do what they want,” Jack said. (Y/N) turned to him, slightly surprised.

“(N/N)? You haven’t called me that since…forever.”

“Sorry. Just slipped out.”

“No, it’s alright…it sounded good.”

“Oh? Alright, I’ll keep that in mind,” Jack said smiling slightly.

“It’ll be better than not being able to call each other pet names. It sounds nice, and doesn’t sound weird.”

“You know, I called you ‘Darling’ yesterday,” Jack said, as he turned over a boulder.

“Did you? When?”

“When you woke up yesterday night.”

“Oh. I didn’t notice.”

“Yeah. Of course you didn’t,” Jack rolled his eyes. “You wanna talk about it?”

“About what?”

“The nightmare.”

“Well-” (Y/N) paused. She bent down and picked a chunk of broken metal up. “Jack?”

“Yeah?” He walked towards her. “What’s this?”

“I think I know. But I can’t be sure.”

“I think that looks an awful lot like…The Arena Club Pin.”

“Without the pin. It’s just the top part.”

“You still have that pin on you?”

“I do.”


	21. Arena Club

“I got us warrants to search the Arena Club,” Jack said, next morning, as he entered the dining room.

“You think they’ll let me in?” (Y/N) asked.

“Well, if they can let me into the Griffith, they can definitely let you into the Arena Club.”

“They didn’t exactly let you in. You forced your way in.”

“You can do that, too,” Jack said, looking at (Y/N) with a cheeky grin. (Y/N) looked at him with a raised brow and a smirk.

“Wouldn’t be the first time I walked into the Arena Club, forcefully.”

“Wait-What?”

“Oops?”

—

“Torrance,” Jack greeted, as he walked into the Arena Club.

“No women, please,” Torrance said, as soon as he saw (Y/N) tagging behind Jack.

“We’re here to search the place,” (Y/N) said, showing him the warrant. He objected. (Y/N) rolled her eyes, turning to look at Jack. Jack nodded. (Y/N) made her way in, while Jack tried to handle Torrance. (Y/N) made her way to the not so secret hidden room, where the Council of Nine met. A few minutes later, Jack came up behind her.

“It took me a hand and foot to convince that man,” Jack said. (Y/N) smirked at him. (Y/N) shut and locked the door hastily and god, it made Jack’s mind run to places it shouldn’t have. “So what’s your plan?”

“We scan this place for any clues. Fingerprints, misplaced belongings. Though, I doubt we’ll find anything fancy.”

“(Y/N), the Council of Nine has been off shop since Whitney Frost got arrested. They haven’t been here since more than two months. You’ll not find anything.”

“Jack, just trust me on this,” (Y/N) said. “Now, be a darling and figure out what this key unlocks.”

“You had to give me the boring task, didn’t you?”

“Look at you. Finally catching on?” (Y/N) laughed. Jack rolled his eyes.

After about twenty minutes of searching and probing, (Y/N) and Jack had still made no progress.

“This place has to have some other secret door,” Jack said.

“No, I don’t think so,” (Y/N) said, as she put a very thin layer of talcum in places that weren’t usually cleaned. “They already have a secret meeting place. Why would they have another secret door?”

“So…we made zero progress.”

“Don’t say it. It makes me feel bad,” (Y/N) said. (Y/N) sighed, making her way out. Jack followed. (Y/N) stopped, before pulling a coin out of her handbag. She handed it to Jack. Jack carefully placed it on top of the door as it closed.

“What now?”

“Now, Bob’s your uncle,” (Y/N) said looking at the closed door.

“We’ll be back in a week, yeah?”

“Yeah. A week sounds good.”

—

“Hey, I…I wanted to ask you a genuine question,” (Y/N) said, shyly. She was currently lying in bed, with Jack beside her. He was running small circles down her back, while she lay cuddled up to his side.

“Shoot.”

“How long have you liked me? As in… _liked_ liked.”

“Romantically?” Jack asked, laughing. (Y/N) quickly nodded her head. “You first.”

“Hey. I asked you first,” (Y/N) whined.

“And I asked you second,” Jack rebutted. (Y/N) rolled her eyes, before answering.

“I-I think I’ve liked you since before the Howard Stark case. I suppose it all resurfaced after you got shot.”

“So…I gotta get shot every other day?”

“Hey!” (Y/N) exclaimed.

“Just joking,” Jack said, laughing at her expression. “I-I think I’ve liked you since the war,” Jack said, making (Y/N) look up at him, surprised.

“Since the war?”

“Yeah. After I went to fight.”

“Six years? You kept it in for six years?”

“It was difficult,” Jack chuckled. “I just went to fight in the war and I liked it. I’d always wanted to join the navy, but something just felt really empty. I dug deep to figure out why I felt the way I did. Turns out I just missed you. A lot. And then, for so long, I only had your letters to keep me company and I just realized how much I needed you.”

“Jack-That is-You’re-”

“A loser? I know.”

“No. I mean, yes. But…”

“Gam-Gam says it was quite obvious,” Jack said, slightly chuckling. “I really couldn’t believe that you would reciprocate. I mean, I’m me, you know.”

“Jack,” (Y/N) said, sitting up, slightly, and cupping his face in her hands. “You’re perfect, okay. And you’re more than enough.”

“I-Thanks?” Jack said it, more like a question. (Y/N) chuckled.

“Smooth as sandpaper, Thompson.”

—

“You trying to kick us out, Carter?” Jack asked.

“No, I’m just wondering. It’s been a week since you came, and I haven’t seen you doing anything special.”

“Yeah, well, if you don’t mind, we have some real work to do today, and I’m pretty sure (Y/N)’s done bathing by now, so I’ll go get out of your hair.”

“You need to learn to become more polite,” Peggy said, but her words fell on deaf ears.

“You done in there?” Jack asked, knocking at the door.

“Yeah,” (Y/N) said. “Almost.”

Jack opened the door and walked in. He caught a sliver of her putting her blouse on. Damn. She turned to him with a smile as she tucked the blouse into her skirt.

“Ready to go?” he asked.

“Uh-huh,” (Y/N) nodded. “Let’s hope we find something.”

—

“You again?” Torrance groaned when (Y/N) walked into the Arena Club. She shot him a dirty look. “Does she always have to come with you?”

“Yes, she does,” Jack snapped. (Y/N) smirked a little. Jack followed as (Y/N) made her way to the ‘secret’ room. She opened the door. They both looked up when the coin didn’t fall. Jack looked at her and she gave him a ‘Told you so’ look. They both walked in. She quickly made her way to all the places she’d put the talcum in. She looked under the table. There were fingerprints. Pretty and clear.

“Hand me some scotch tape, will ya?” (Y/N) said, turning to Jack. He fished into her handbag, picking some scotch tape. “Lend me a hand.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Jack said, as they both started taking fingerprints from all around the room.

“Off shop, huh?” (Y/N) asked. Jack rolled his eyes. “Now we need to get fingerprints of all the janitors here.”

“Why?”

“To make sure that it wasn’t just them cleaning the place. I don’t want Janitors doing their jobs to be interpreted as the re-gathering of the Council of Nine.”

“Right,” Jack nodded. “Why do you get all these ideas and I don’t?”

“Jack, you were trained as a soldier. I was trained as a spy.”

“Fair point,” Jack said, as they both stood up and made their way out of the room. They walked into the main area.

“We’d like to talk to your cleaning crew,” (Y/N) said to Torrance. Torrance looked at her with a dirty look. Jack stepped forward. Torrance sighed.

“I’ll gather them all up,” Torrance said.

“I thought so,” Jack grumbled.

And within a few minutes, (Y/N) and Jack were taking the fingerprints of the cleaning crew of the Arena Club.

“We’ll take these to the SSR?”

“Yeah. I think the L.A. office has enough manpower to match fingerprints.”

“You never know.”


	22. Michael Carter

“Do we have anything?” (Y/N) asked, leaning over the L.A. Agent’s desk.

“Uh-No, ma’am. None of these fingerprints match,” the agent replied. What was he…scared of (Y/N)? He was on the newer side and hadn’t been in the SSR for long, so naturally, he was scared.

“That’s exactly what we needed,” (Y/N) said, smiling at him. He gulped a little as (Y/N) gathered the fingerprints. She walked back to the empty desk Jack had been sitting at. She put them down. She pulled out a chair opposite him and sat down. “None of them match.”

“That’s a good thing,” Jack said, examining them with a disinterested expression. “I don’t like the way he’s looking at you.”

“Beg your pardon?”

“Him,” Jack clarified, pointing to the junior Agent who had been examining the fingerprints. (Y/N) turned around to look at him. The kid looked like he’d shit his pants when Jack and (Y/N) both looked at him. (Y/N) turned back to Jack.

“Seriously?”

“What?”

“He’s a kid,” (Y/N) said. “He’s so much younger than me.”

“I’m younger than you, too,” Jack said. (Y/N) laughed at that.

“But I love _you_ ,” (Y/N) said in an assuring tone. Jack could be very possessive, and she knew it wouldn’t turn into anything good if left hanging in the air.

“I love you too, darlin’.”

“Did you just-”

“I did.”

—

“So someone from the mafia is a part of The Council of Nine?” (Y/N) asked, looking over at Jack. She was currently sitting in the chair, her legs pulled up to her chest, writing all the stuff down in a notepad. Jack was looking over all the files the SSR had on the Council of Nine or its members.

“Or maybe it’s the English Man,” Jack said. They had made note not to use his name in public.

“It could be,” (Y/N) said, humming, biting down at the pencil in her hand. She sighed, before putting the notepad and pencil down on the table. She stretched her arms out and hung her head back.

“You okay?” Jack asked.

“Tired,” (Y/N) said, looking at him. His expression softened.

“You wanna grab dinner? I think we’ve done enough for today.”

“No, Jack. We’ve made literally no progress.”

“That’s an order, Agent,” Jack said. (Y/N) looked at him, slightly surprised. It had been a while since he used his ‘Chief’ voice.

“Yes, sir.” Jack got up and offered his arm. (Y/N) took it with a smile, as he led her out of the SSR. All the agents just stared at them, before one of them broke the silence.

“I knew they were more than friendly.”

—

“I think we’ll need to break into the Arena Club,” (Y/N) stated, one day, casually over dinner.

“What? Why would you want to do that?”

“For answers,” (Y/N) said, shrugging her shoulders, nonchalantly.

“You know we can’t do that.”

“Of course we can.”

“No, I mean. We physically can’t do that. There’s no way for us to do it.”

“Sure is,” (Y/N) said. “We’ll need to ask a little favor, though.”

“I know that look,” Jack said, looking at her with a suspicious look. “What do you have in mind?”

“You know…if people are really desperate, the same plan can work twice.”

“What’re you talking about? You’re freaking me out a little.”

“They’ll meet in the ‘secret’ room again at Tuesday, right?”

“According to the intel, yes.”

“Perfect.”

—

“Stark, not again,” Torrance groaned, as the ladies flooded the club. (Y/N) quietly slipped in, too. She quickly made her way into the ‘secret’ room. She looked around, and quickly rushed and hid inside one of the cupboards.

“Hey, do you copy?” she heard Jack’s voice followed by static. She fixed her necklace (similar to Dottie’s, if you were wondering) and answered.

“I copy,” (Y/N) and Jack had decided that (Y/N) would go in, with remote communication, and Jack would record whatever he heard at the other end. They couldn’t take recording devices into the room, so this was how they were going to get enough evidence to get a warrant. It had been (Y/N)’s idea. Jack had kissed her and said, ‘You’re a genius.’

“Anyone there yet?”

“No. It’s just me, right now.”

“Alright. I’ll get to know when someone else comes in,” Jack said. “Just…Don’t get yourself killed, okay?”

“Yes, sir,” (Y/N) said, with a smirk on her face. (Y/N) waited for a while, before the doors opened again. Her heartbeat slightly picked up. There were a few familiar faces, but the one that stood out to her was the English man. Michael Carter. She sharply inhaled.

“Is he there?” Jack asked, but did not expect an answer.

“It’s good to see you again, Mister Carter,” one of the men said, sitting down.

“It’s good to be here,” Michael Carter said in his heavy English accent. “I’ve actually had something bothering me for quite a while.”

“Oh? And what’s that?”

“Two people. They have been hindering my plans.”

“I thought killing wasn’t your thing, Carter.”

“It wasn’t. It still isn’t. These people have just been really annoying.”

“Must’ve been really annoying to push to the level of wanting them dead,” Another man said.

“They killed one of my allies.”

“So…what do you plan on doing?”

“We’ll meet at the hide-out. I will elaborate what we will be doing. I want both of them dead.”

“Who’re these people you’re talking ‘bout?”

“Jack Thompson and (Y/N) (L/N).”

—

“Hey. Calm down,” Jack whispered, running a hand down her back, as they lay on the bed. “We’ll both be alright. They’ve tried killing us before. We survived, didn’t we?”

“He wasn’t really trying,” (Y/N) whispered, looking up at him.

“We need to figure out what this hide-out is.”

“Maybe that’s where the Arena Club pin unlocks,” (Y/N) suggested, as she slowly calmed her breath. It wasn’t very effective.

“(N/N), please calm down,” Jack whispered. (Y/N) shook her head.

“I’m scared,” she admitted.

“Hey. It’s alright to be scared,” Jack said, pulling her closer. She whimpered a little.

“I-It was-The nightmare I had last week? On our first night here?”

“Yeah. What about it?”

“It was similar. He…He had you, Jack. And he killed you. And I could only stand and watch. I screamed. I shouted at him not to. He just…Jack, I can’t.” Jack looked down at her pitifully. God, she deserved so much better.

“(Y/N), I promise. I’ll be alright. And you, too,” Jack said, caressing her face. “I think you should get some sleep.”

“Yeah,” (Y/N) nodded. Jack fetched her pills from the bedside and handed them to her. She quickly ate them, and lay down. Jack lay down with her. She always looked so beautiful.

“You’ll be alright, you hear me? We both will.”


	23. Spying

“Do you copy?” (Y/N)’s voice spoke into the communicating device.

“I copy,” Jack responded. (Y/N), god bless her skills, had figured out where Mortimer Hayes would be meeting with another member of the Arena Club. So, Jack was currently sitting in the hotel lounge area. He was ‘reading’ a newspaper, his hand was carefully adjusted to hold a small mirror in place, which he was using to observe what Hayes was doing. He waited for a while, before Hayes stood up and shook hands with another man. He was who Jack assumed to be the other Arena Club member. “He’s here.”

“Great. So, when he leaves, you remain seated for a minute and then get up and follow him,” (Y/N) instructed. “Maintain your distance while driving. Leave the keys in the ignition. Be ready to drive away at any moment, okay?”

“I know. I have basic spy knowledge,” Jack joked.

“And don’t die, please,” (Y/N) added. Jack could feel his expression soften.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said. The man sat down with Hayes. They made unnecessary small talk and Jack kept rolling his eyes. “They’re just making small talk.”

“Did you expect them to talk about their plans in a public hotel lounge?”

“Well…it would have been easier for us,” Jack joked. Hayes then handed the man the Arena Club Pin, wordlessly, still laughing at a joke the man had said. “He’s given him the key.”

“Great. When he leaves, you follow the man,” (Y/N) said, making Jack roll his eyes.

“You know, I don’t need to be walked through every single step like a toddler,” he said, folding the newspaper up. The man walked out and Jack stood up. He picked the coffee cup up and went to the counter, requesting for more sugar. The woman behind the counter nodded, turning around to grab some sugar. Jack, then, made his way to the exit.

“Wait. Jack, did you just leave the coffee on the counter?”

“I did.”

“A part of maintaining a low profile is not doing anything remotely suspicious,” (Y/N) reprimanded.

“It’s alright,” Jack brushed off. “I left her a tip. She’ll be alright.”

“You see, you do need me to guide you through every single step,” (Y/N) said as Jack quickly got into the car they had to borrow from Howard.

“Your priorities are very misplaced, you know that?” Jack asked, as he began following the man. Jack drove for a while, following the man. The driving was occasionally accompanied with (Y/N)’s sassy remarks. When the man stopped driving and parked in an alley, Jack followed him out, at a safe distance. Jack’s eyes widened as he saw the man pull the Arena Club Pin and used it to open the backdoor of what seemed to be an abandoned building.

“(N/N), I think I found the hideout Carter’s brother was talking about,” he said, but received no response. “(N/N)? (Y/N)? Damn it.”

“He probably should have payed more attention to not driving out of communication distance. He had no idea what to do. He and (Y/N) had decided that they would figure out a plan of action after they knew what they were dealing with. Man, did it backfire. He couldn’t just leave without any lead. But he had no idea what to do. Or how many people were inside the hideout.

“Jack,” (Y/N)’s voice said, crackling and cracking with static.

“(Y/N)?” he called out. She said something, but Jack mainly heard static. Jack looked around. He sighed, before getting back into the car. He parked the car near the hideout, somewhere no one could find and placed what Jarvis had called a ‘Sock on the Doorknob.’ He then hailed a cab back to Howard’s place.

—

“I’m not sure how much longer they’ll be staying in L.A. and I have to act before they slip out.” (Y/N) and Jack were currently listening to the recording of the ‘Council of Nine’ meeting. (Y/N) tried to stay calm as she heard Michael Carter talk about his plans for (Y/N) and Jack. Jack had a had on her shoulder, trying to calm her down. “I suggest we meet next week. Same time, at the hideout?”

There were murmurs of agreement and Jack cut the recording off.

“So we know that they’re gonna be there in another week, and I was thinking…if we get custody of Michael Carter, we have nowhere to bring him to,” Jack said. “I think we’ll have to get Sousa in on this one.”

“But I thought you were against telling Peggy.”

“I’m not telling Marge. Sousa won’t-”

“Daniel will definitely tell Peggy.”

“What are you both talking about?” Daniel’s voice cut in. (Y/N)’s head snapped to the door. He stood there with his crutch, leaning against the frame.

“Sousa, we might want to discuss this one in your office,” Jack said. Daniel looked suspiciously between the two, before nodding. Jack and (Y/N) followed him into his office. He sat down, with (Y/N) sitting opposite him and Jack remained standing.

“Yeah. So what were you talking about?” Daniel asked. (Y/N) sighed.

“Remember when they kidnapped (Y/N)?” Jack began. “And there was this English man who held her at gunpoint.”

“Yeah. He was kinda hard to forget,” Daniel nodded.

“We know who it is,” (Y/N) said,. Daniel looked at her with a raised brow.

“Great?” he said, which came out as a question.

“That’s where the catch comes in,” Jack said. “It’s a dead man.”

“After Leet Brannis and his buddy, I’m willing to give it a shot,” Daniel said.

“His name is Michael Carter,” Jack said, carefully, noting Daniel’s expression. Daniel’s expression didn’t change.

“You’re joking,” he said.

“We’re not,” (Y/N) assured. She excused herself for a moment, as she walked out to the filing cabinets. She looked through and got hold of the file on Michael Carter. She walked back into the office, and placed the file on the table. Daniel looked at her with a questioning look, before picking the file up and examining it. His eyes quickly ran through the file.

“Michael Carter? Is he-”

“Marge’s brother,” Jack nodded. Daniel looked at the two of them with his mouth slightly open.

“We need to tell Peggy,” he said.

“No. No, the last time a case involved someone close to her, she almost mucked it up.”

“Jack,” (Y/N) sighed. “We’re not talking about that again. If you’d just told us what your plan was, we could have got Doctor Wilkes out of that place and it would have worked out so well.”

“Yeah. Whatever,” Jack rolled his eyes. “But my point is, we can’t tell Carter. It’s too personal.”

“And why’re you telling me?” Daniel asked.

“Because we think we might be able to get custody of him, soon,” (Y/N) said. “And we’ll have to interrogate him here. So, you should know what we’ll be doing in your office.”

“And also, so you can keep everyone out, when we’re interrogating him.”

“I’ll try,” Daniel nodded.

—

“(Y/N),” Jack sighed. “I know you’re scared.But trust me, we’ll both be alright.”

“Jack, think about it. We almost died wice, when he didn’t even intend to kill us. And now he full well intends to. Do you seriously think he won’t be able to? We can just go back to New York. We’ll be safer.”

“(N/N), I promise, we’ll get custody of him and we’ll question him, and before we’ll know it, this entire shitshow will be over. And we’ll be alright.”

“I suppose,” (Y/N) sighed.

“I love you,” he whispered, as he leaned down to kiss her.

“I love you, too.”


	24. Interrogation

“This sounds too easy,” (Y/N) said after Jack de-briefed her on the plan. They were currently standing in the armory. Jack chuckled, shaking his head. Typical (Y/N) (L/N).

“Maybe it is,” Jack said.

“It never is.”

Jack shook his head. He stood up and grabbed the bag with weapons and put it on the table. (Y/N) sighed, standing up and fishing into the bag.

“We’ll be okay,” Jack assured. (Y/N) nodded. He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. “I promise.”

—

“This is a bad idea,” (Y/N) said.

“No, it’s not,” Jack replied.

“We can’t just catch him so easily,” (Y/N) said.

“Sure can.”

Jack and (Y/N) waited for what seemed to be forever. A lot of members walked in, but no Michael Carter until after all the members had gone in. Jack sprung into action as soon as he got out of the car. (Y/N) put a hand forward, stopping him. He looked at her with a questioning look.

“Let the driver drive the car away,” she whispered. Jack stopped and waited. When the car was gone, Jack moved up behind him. Michael Carter paused and turned around.

“Not you,” he groaned as Jack twisted his arm behind his back and (Y/N) watched on in slight amazement. “You can’t stop us.”

“I’ll see about that,” Jack said, knocking Michael Carter out with a punch to head. He motioned for (Y/N) to get out from cover and she walked out, slightly uncertain.

“This was too easy,” (Y/N) whispered, looking at Michael Carter as if he was going to get up any minute. Jack sighed.

“We’ll deal with the trap when we see it.”

—

All the SSR agents stared at (Y/N) and Jack as they dragged an unconscious Michael Carter (with a bag over his face, of course; they aren’t idiots) to the interrogation room. Daniel was standing at the door, waiting for them. Jack sat Michael Carter down on the chair, as (Y/N) stood outside.

“I think you should stand behind the mirror,” (Y/N) said. Daniel nodded, and (Y/N) entered the interrogation room. Jack removed the bag from his face, and they both stood looking at him for a moment. He slowly stirred, and (Y/N) found her hand clutching Jack’s fore-arm. Jack placed a comforting hand on her arm. She took a deep breath, before letting go. Michael Carter slowly woke up, and blinked his eyes open.

“Where am I?” he asked.

“You, Mister Carter, are at the SSR,” (Y/N) said. “And I assure you…escape is impossible. We’re impenetrable.”

“No building is impenetrable,” he said, with a slight smirk. Jack placed a carrot and a stick onto the table.

“You are going to tell us everything we want to know,” Jack said. “By choice, or by force.”

“I am not going to tell either of you anything,” he replied.

“I’ll make you,” Jack said.

“I’m not scared of any of you,” he replied.

“The stick, then,” (Y/N) said, moving away as Jack got to work.

—

“This is the second time you’ve hit a guy and not received any answers out of him,” (Y/N) said, as she bandaged Jack’s bleeding knuckles. “I think you’re getting sloppy.”

“Shut up,” Jack mumbled.

“You want me to give him a try?” (Y/N) asked.

“He didn’t give me anything. What makes you think he’ll talk to you?”

“That’s the point. Can’t do worse than you,” (Y/N) smirked and Jack glared at her.

“Fine,” he said. “Whatever you want.”

“I need you there,” (Y/N) said, as she walked into the interrogation room. Jack followed after her.

“Her to give me another shot?” a very bloodied and bruised Michael Carter asked. (Y/N) rolled her eyes, before sitting down on the chair opposite his, as Jack stood, leaning against the one-way mirror. “The Manfredi’s and everyone who worked under them were very scared of you,” (Y/N) informed. “What is it that you did that would make them so scared of you?”

“I can show you better than I can tell you,” he responded, with a smile. (Y/N) tried another approach.

“You know…the file you have on Peggy Carter is a forgery.” Michael Carter’s immediately changed. He seemed to cower in on himself as he whispered something to himself.

“What did he say?” Jack asked.

“Peggy would be so disappointed to see you like this,” (Y/N) said.

“Stop!” he exclaimed, as he shielded himself away. “I-I don’t know-They said she was a weakness-kind of familiar-I had to eliminate any weakness-he said he would help.”

“What? Who’s he talking about?” Jack asked. He looked at (Y/N) and her expression told him that she understood. “(Y/N), what’s he talking about?”

“Michael,” (Y/N) said, carefully. “ _Do you remember who Peggy Carter is?_ ”


	25. Mind Controlled

‘What?’ Jack mouthed. (Y/N) stared intensely at Michael Carter. He looked up at her with an expression (Y/N) couldn’t pinpoint.

“Do you?” she asked him.

“No,” he said, voice barely above a whisper. Jack looked at (Y/N), confused.

“Time out,” (Y/N) said, standing up and dragging Jack out with her.

“What’s he going on about?” Jack asked, as soon as they were outside. “You’re telling me that’s someone with Michael Carter’s face, but it’s not Michael Carter?”

“I’m saying it is Michael Carter. It’s just not the same Michael Carter.”

“You’re talking in riddles,” Jack said.

“I’m saying-he’s under some form of mind control?”

“Mind control?” Jack laughed. (Y/N) glared at him. “You’ve been reading too many books, (N/N).”

“I’m serious, Jack. How else do you explain the fact that he doesn’t remember Peg?”

“He’s obviously making that up,” Jack said.

“Jack,” (Y/N) sighed. “I’m the spy here. You have to trust me.”

“(Y/N), no one has technology like that,” Jack said.

“Can we get the science team to have a look. Just…please?”

“Fine,” Jack huffed. “They’ll have a look.”

“Thank you,” (Y/N) said, smiling up at him.

“Yeah. Whatever,” Jack rolled his eyes. He really needed to learn self-control.

—

“I still can’t believe I agreed to get Carter’s brother checked by Sousa’s science team,” Jack said, as he lay sprawled on the bed.

“I asked nicely,” (Y/N) said, from the bathroom.

“You never ask nicely,” Jack said, and rolled his eyes when he heard (Y/N) gasp dramatically. Jack had asked (Y/N) to the movies, and immediately regretted it when (Y/N) had decided that she needed to bathe before stepping out, again. “I swear if you don’t come out of that bathroom this instant, I’ll rip the tickets apart.”

“Calm down. Geez,” (Y/N) said. He heard the opening of the vanity, a thud and an irritated groan, and he found himself smiling, for some reason. There was a rustling sound, and another groan, before he heard the lock to the bathroom click. He sat up and Damn. He mentally tried to count how many times he had seen her in a dress, before. Once, on her date with Watson’s brother. She had been seventeen. Twice, during school prom, but that had been a full-blown gown. Thrice, on her date with Austin Ross. She had been twenty-three. Four times, on an undercover mission. She had been twenty-eight. Five times, on her date with that asshole…Thomas Manfredi. She had been thirty-three. And now, here, for the sixth time. With him. And at that moment, he felt a warm feeling spread in his insides.

“You look beautiful,” he commented.

“Thanks,” she smiled, before making her way towards him. She turned around. “Help me with the hook?”

“Uh-yeah,” he said, quickly standing up, trying to regain the feeling in his fingers. His fingers faltered as he closed the hook. (Y/N) turned around, and when she smiled, he considering dropping the idea of the movie and just stay with her.

“You don’t need a tie,” (Y/N) said, as she removed his tie. “You could’ve atleast changed your clothes.”

“I-I think I’m good,” he said, still looking at (Y/N).

This was going to be a long night.

—

When (Y/N) and Jack entered the Science Division of SSR, Los Angeles, next morning, there was a lot of buzz. (Y/N) walked up to Daniel, who was being hogged by the three scientists.

“Daniel?”

“(Y/N), about time,” he said, slightly exasperated. “They’ve been bothering me about something they found on Peg’s brother.”

“It’s beyond anything I’ve ever seen,” Samberly said, showing a device, about as big as (Y/N)’s palm.

“What is it?” Jack asked.

“We’re not sure,” one of the other scientists said.

“We just said that we’ve never seen anything like it,” Samberly said. (Y/N) rolled her eyes.

“But it seemed to be altering his neural activity in his brain,” the third scientist said.

“So, you’re saying it’s…”

“Mind control!” (Y/N) exclaimed, looking at Jack with a ‘Told You So’ look.

“Where was-I mean, we kinda would’ve known if this thing was anywhere on his body,” Jack said.

“Oh, this part,” Samberly said, motioning to the small button-like part. “was the only thing. The rest of it was inside.”

“Where exactly was it?”

“The base of his neck,” Samberly informed.

“I think we should talk to him,” (Y/N) said. Jack nodded and followed as she rushed into the interrogation room.

“I’m sorry.” Were the first words out of Michael Carter’s mouth when they entered the interrogation room.

“Yeah. You should be,” Jack said, as he leaned against the wall. (Y/N) glared at him, as she sat down.

“Get the cuffs off of him, please,” (Y/N) said. Jack reluctantly obliged.

“Shouldn’t you be the one giving the orders?” Michael asked. Jack shook his head and mumbled what sounded remarkably like ‘Leave that alone, pal.’

“Michael, I just want you to know that no one blames you for what you did,” (Y/N) said.

“I do,” Jack said. (Y/N) glared at him.

“You may leave, Chief Thompson.”

“Yeah. That sounds good,” Jack said, walking out.

“It’s just us, now,” (Y/N) said. “Now, tell me, what is the last thing you remember about the war?”

“I-don’t know,” Michael admitted. “It’s all very blurry after they kidnapped me.”

“Who kidnapped you?”

“Nazis. Other men from my division thought I was dead for sure. They left. It took me a long time, but I managed to break out. I-I don’t remember much after that. A little bit here, a little bit there. The next thing I remember clearly is them putting that machine inside my head.”

“Do you remember who put it?” (Y/N) asked.

“There’s this woman. Blonde. I don’t know her name.”

“Blonde woman?” (Y/N) questioned. “Excuse me for a minute.”

(Y/N) walked out and looked into the files the SSR had. After a few minutes, she walked back in with a file in hand. She sat down, and opened the file.

“It wouldn’t happen to be her, would it?” she asked, showing him the picture in the file.

“Yes, it was her,” Michael nodded. “She’s in prison, right now. I think they’re trying to break her out.”

“Well, that makes sense,” (Y/N) mumbled, as she looked down at the picture of Whitney Frost.


	26. Whitney Frost

“We need to prohibit any visitors for Whitney Frost,” (Y/N) said, as soon as she walked into the Office. Jack and Daniel looked up at her with a confused expression. “Right now!”

“Hold on,” Jack said, as he stood up and steadied her. “Tell me what’s going on.”

“Whitney Frost gets regular visitors?”

“Just Joseph Manfredi. He visits every Friday,” Daniel informed.

“Today’s Friday,” (Y/N) realized. “He’s going to break her out.”

“Who told you that?”

“I’m not sure whether today, but he is going to. That device they used to control Michael Carter? She designed it.”

“He said that?” Daniel asked.

“No, he just said that she’s the one who implanted it in him,” (Y/N) said. “But who else do you reckon designed it? Joseph Manfredi?”

“And she’s a genius and a very valuable asset for them,” Jack agreed. “We have to prohibit visitors. We can’t let her run around.”

“But she’s not mentally stable. There’s no way in hell she can help anyone,” Daniel said.

“The machine she designed…Samberly said it altered neural activity. He didn’t specifically say control,” Jack said. (Y/N)’s eyes widened.

“Oh, god,” Daniel mumbled. Before anyone else could say anything, the phone rung. Daniel quickly went to pick it up. “Sousa.”

“I have a feeling that that’s not something good,” (Y/N) whispered.

“When?” Daniel spoke into the phone. “And what’d you do?”

“Yeah,” Jack agreed. “That’s not good.”

“I’ll deal with it,” Daniel said, as he shook his head, and placed the receiver down.

“Well?” (Y/N) looked at him with an expectant look.

“He did it,” Daniel said.

“He…?”

“Joseph Manfredi,” Daniel said, making (Y/N) go pale.

“He broke Whitney Frost out?” Jack asked. Daniel nodded. (Y/N) cursed.

“We need to tell Peggy,” (Y/N) said.

“We do,” Jack agreed.

—

“I swear to God, if I die, it’s gonna be on you,” Jack grumbled, and (Y/N) laughed. (Y/N) had left Jack and Daniel to tell Peggy everything about Michael Carter. They had, no doubt, received an earful.

“Where’s she?”

“The interrogation room. Though, I doubt she’s doing a lot of interrogating.”

“You can’t blame her. Her brother has been ‘dead’ since the war.”

“Yeah. I suppose.”

“I’ll go check up on them, yeah?” (Y/N) said, before walking towards the interrogation room. Peggy was making her way out of the room, when (Y/N) got there. She looked slightly distraught. (Y/N) decided that she needed her space. (Y/N) walked into the room. Michael looked up at her, and she smiled, reassuringly.

“Are you here to get more answers out of me?” he asked.

“Not answers. Just one answer. If you know,” (Y/N) said.

“I-I want to help in any way I can. I just want to prove that I’m not the evil person you think I am.”

“Michael, no one thinks you’re evil,” (Y/N) assured.

“I held you at gunpoint,” Michael said.

“Yeah, well, that was unpleasant,” (Y/N) joked.

“You were about to ask me something,” Michael said.

“Right,” (Y/N) nodded. “Do you-Do you know who shot Jack?”

“Hugh Jones,” Michael said, after a pause.

“Do you know why he shot him?”

“I suppose I was starting to remember stuff they didn’t want me to remember. One day, I just recalled Peg, and he told me she was just a weakness. I needed to get something on her and he promised that he’ll help me get over any weakness and he said he’ll bring me the file. Are you understanding what I’m saying?”

“Partly,” (Y/N) responded.

“What are you going to do about Hugh Jones?” Michael asked, his expression guarded.

“I’m going to kill him.”

—

“This one’s just a prototype,” Samberly said. “I’m not sure what she can do with the proper thing.”

“Can this cure people’s mental instability?” (Y/N) asked.

“As long as the prototype stays in her body,” Samberly said, making Jack mutter ‘Oh, great.’ “I’m not sure what she can do with the proper thing.”

“So, they have Whitney Frost,” Peggy said. “And we have to assume that they have her in a completely stable position.”

“But that’s alright, right?” Samberly asked. “She doesn’t have the zero matter, now.”

“She’s pretty dangerous without the Zero Matter,” Peggy said.

“So, where do we start?” Jack asked.

“I think we should start with searching the hideout of theirs,” (Y/N) said. Peggy nodded.

So, that’s how they were here at the hideout for the members of the Council of Nine.

“You’re telling me Mortimer Hayes gave the pin to another member of the Arena Club?” Peggy asked.

“Yeah,” Jack nodded. Peggy and (Y/N) looked at each other.

“Why would he need to? Shouldn’t every member have the pin?” Peggy asked.

“Unless,” (Y/N) supplied. “Not all the pins aren’t keys.”

“…That’s an easy way to figure out how many of them are up to something,” Daniel said.

“Not a very efficient way, though,” (Y/N) said. Jack looked at her with a ‘Why not?’ look.

“If you ask all of them to show you their pins, they’re most likely to catch on,” Peggy clarified. “I’m pretty sure they have actual pins, that are not keys. You understand what I’m saying?”

“Not really,” Jack shook his head. “I don’t think there’s anything here.”

“Just keep searching,” Peggy said, making Jack roll his eyes, before turning to (Y/N).

“(N/N)?”

“You heard the woman.”

“Oh, come on,” Jack groaned. They kept searching, to no avail.

“I think we need more people on this. Smarter people,” (Y/N) said.

“We do,” Daniel agreed. “But, there’s no one in the Los Angeles office who’s qualified enough.”

“There is someone,” (Y/N) trailed off. Peggy looked at her.

“That’s not a very bad idea.”

“Wait, who’re you talking about?” Daniel asked.

“You’re not gonna like where that ‘someone’ is kept.”

—

“Oh, hell no!” Daniel exclaimed.

“Why not?” (Y/N) asked.

“You did not just ask that question,” Jack said.

“It won’t be the first time we did it,” Peggy said, earning a look from Jack.

“You are not doing this,” Daniel said with a tone of finality.

“Yes, we are.”

“No.”

—

“Hi, (Y/N),” Dottie Underwood said in a sing-song voice. “Are you here to interrogate me?”

“No. I’ve got you a deal,” (Y/N) said, sitting down.

“A deal? I like the sound of that,” Dottie said.

“You see this paper?” (Y/N) held up an official document. “This ensures that you don’t get sentenced to the electric chair.”

“What’s the catch?”

“You have to help us.”

“Us?”

“In a case,” (Y/N) said. “You try any funny business, this deal’s off the table.”

“Oooh, are you asking me to join your band?” Dottie asked with a little smirk.

“I am,” (Y/N) said. That obviously wasn’t what Dottie was expecting, because her expression changed for a slight second.

“That is gonna be so exciting,” Dottie said, her expression anything but excited.

“So?”

“Deal.”


	27. In charge

“Dottie, no funny business,” (Y/N) instructed. “You have to find out what Whitney Frost is up to and that is it.”

“Do I get a weapon?”

“No,” (Y/N) snapped. “You don’t need to engage.”

“Aw, you people are no fun. Who’s going to come with me?”

“I am,” Peggy said, entering the room.

“Peggy!” Dottie squealed. “It’s so good to see you.”

“I’ll handle her,” Peggy said. “Jack’s waiting for you, outside.”

“Great. Thanks,” (Y/N) said, smiling.

“Bye!” Dottie said in a sing-song voice (why does this remind me of Snowflake from AoS Season 6???). (Y/N) rolled her eyes, before walking out.

“She’s gonna kill all of us,” Jack said. He was standing, leaning against the wall.

“Hello to you, too,” (Y/N) smirked.

“I’m telling you, we’ll all die.”

“Well, then we gotta make the most of our remaining lives, right?” (Y/N) joked, walking up to him.

“I-I’m being serious,” Jack stuttered as (Y/N) invaded into his private space. She smirked, before wrapping her arm around Jack’s neck and pulling him down by his collar. He caught her lips with his. The kiss was gentle and short.

“Peg is gonna deal with the case for now. I think we can have a while to ourselves,” she whispered, her forehead pressed against his. He liked the sound of that. He leaned down to kiss her again, and she smiled into the kiss. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Jack said, breathlessly.

—

“Morning,” (Y/N) greeted when she walked into Daniel’s office, next morning.

“Morning,” he greeted back.

“Peggy and Dottie caught something yesterday?” she asked.

“Whitney Frost is trying to open the rift, again. She wants Zero Matter back.”

“Zero Matter? Can she do that? We burnt all her findings, calculations, everything.”

“She’ll just calculate everything again. She’s desperate, (Y/N).“

“So that means we have to set a few agents on to arrest her,” (Y/N) said. Daniel sighed.

“(Y/N), that means that our priority should now be Whitney Frost.”

“No,” (Y/N) deadpanned. “That can be your priority. My priority, right now, is finding Hugh Jones and putting a bullet in his thick skull.”

“(Y/N), I get it. You’re angry, but arresting Whitney Frost will weaken Hugh Jones and the entire Council of Nine.”

“Daniel, last time we arrested Whitney Frost, it sent the rest of the Council hiding in holes, where we couldn’t picture catching them.”

“Are you suggesting that-”

“We shouldn’t arrest Whitney Frost right now. We should let them crawl out of their holes, arrest them, and then arrest Whitney Frost.”

“(Y/N), she’ll have the Zero Matter by then,” Daniel explained.

“So we have to sabotage her, without her knowing that she is being sabotaged.”

“What?”

“We have to give her, and everyone around her a faux sense of power.”

“And how do we do that?”

“You’re not going to like my idea.”

“Hold on. I’ll get Peggy and Jack.”

“And Dottie Underwood.”

—

“What is this about?” Peggy asked, as she followed Daniel into his office.

“I have no idea,” Daniel said. “She has a plan.”

“Oh, hey,” (Y/N) said, when Peggy, Daniel and Jack entered. “I asked you to bring Dottie.”

“I’ll decide what Underwood does and doesn’t need to know,” Daniel said.

“Alright, well…my plan is to sabotage Whitney Frost. And it’s a very simple plan, really,” (Y/N) said. “We need someone to gain Whitney Frost’s trust and sabotage her calculations.”

“We can’t really do that,” Jack said. “She knows us.”

“I was talking about-”

“Hell no!” Jack exclaimed. “I get it, you and Underwood are new friends but hell no.”

“That’s actually a very good plan,” Peggy interjected.

“Whitney Frost knows Underwood,” Daniel said.

“But she knows that Dottie is a criminal, a spy,” Peggy said. “If Dottie ‘mysteriously’ escapes and joins sides with Whitney Frost…”

“How can you both be so reckless?” Jack asked. “It’s like you are somehow convinced that you can’t be killed.”

“I am,” Peggy said. “I grow old and I also make an appearance in Captain America 2.”

“What?”

“What?”

“Nothing.” (Y’all I was really, really tempted to do this; I am so sorry)

“We are not doing this plan,” Daniel said with a tone of finality.

“…I just had a better idea,” (Y/N) said. “Whitney Frost trusts Michael Carter.”

“What?”

“No. No way!”

“She doesn’t trust him, to begin with,” Daniel said.

“But I’m sure she trusts the device she built,” (Y/N) said.

“But what if she figures out that Michael doesn’t have the device on him?” Peggy asked.

“How about…alright, listen here. Michael broke out, and when he did, he broke Dottie out, because he ‘saw potential’ and Dottie is excited to get her revenge on us-”

“Have you considered the fact that that might actually be true?” Jack asked.

“Shhh, listen her out,” Peggy shushed him.

“And then Dottie won’t even need to earn Whitney’s trust, and we’ll get the job done.”

“I trust this Michael guy more than I trust Underwood,” Jack said.

“We’ll put something on Michael that looks like that device on the outside. Dottie is in case anything goes South.”

“Why are we acting like Underwood is a trusted asset?” Daniel asked.

“That’s a very great idea,” Peggy smiled. “Great job, (Y/N).”

“Thanks,” (Y/N) smiled.

“Let’s let Dottie and Michael know,” Peggy said, walking out of Daniel’s office, followed by (Y/N).

“We-”

“…are the ones in charge,” Jack said, crossing his arms, as the two of them stared at Peggy and (Y/N)’s retreating forms


	28. Dottie and Michael

“This is going to be exciting,” Dottie said. “I feel like we should get to know each other. I’m Dottie.”

“I’ve heard about you,” Michael said, ignoring Dottie’s outstretched hand.

“All bad, I hope,” Dottie said, with a smirk.

“Alright, enough with your tea party, Underwood,” Jack snapped. “Get your ass moving.”

“You all are so boring,” she whined.

“Just get the job done,” Jack snapped, and Dottie made a mock hurt face. All three of them turned around when (Y/N) walked into the room. Dottie smiled widely.

“Hi, (Y/N),” she squealed, before her expression changed, entirely. “Your boyfriend is being very mean to me.”

“Dottie, just focus on the mission.”

“How much do you trust me?” Dottie asked, making Jack look at (Y/N) with a pointed look. (Y/N) rolled her eyes, before moving to Michael. She pulled a black…replica? Of the device they had originally found on him.

“This looks just like Whitney Frost’s device. You have memory of everything while you had it in you?” (Y/N) asked. Michael nodded. “Good. Then, you’ll know how to act. Don’t blow your covers under any circumstances, either of you.”

“How’re we supposed to contact you?”

“Peggy will brief you on that,” (Y/N) said.

“This will be so fun,” Dottie said.

“And stay safe, both of you.”

“We’ll die,” Jack said, as he watched Dottie and Michael walk out.

“We’ll be fine,” (Y/N) said, as she leaned into Jack’s side. He quickly wrapped an arm around her. Force of habit. “I’m willing to bet on it.”

“Yeah. Of course you are. Because if we die, you won’t have to pay me back.”

“Look at you finally catching on.” (Get it???)

—

“I really don’t know how we manage to do this, taking into account how busy we are,” Jack said, looking at (Y/N)’s face with a look of pure adoration, as he held her hand across the table. “But I love every second.”

“Stop being charming with me,” (Y/N) said, giggling, as she swatted him away.

“No, I’m only saying the truth,” Jack said, smirking as (Y/N) got flustered. “You, (Y/N) (L/N), are the single most beautiful woman I have ever met.”

“You’re not too bad, yourself, Thompson,” (Y/N) teased. “Can I say something?”

“Shoot.”

“Not that I want them to,” (Y/N) began. “But how can someone not love you?”

“What?” Jack asked, looking at (Y/N) with an amused expression.

“I don’t mean it in the creepy way,” (Y/N) quickly defended. “I mean…you’re physically so attractive. You have such an awesome heart. Though, you can be an ass, sometimes.”

“Hey!”

“And you’re just so loving, and oh god, I’ve hit the jackpot.”

“Darling, that’s-”

“I love you, Jack Thompson. With all of my heart,” (Y/N) whispered, leaning over the table to place a kiss on his lips.

“I love you too,” he said, after she pulled away. He could still feel a rush of electricity that he usually felt when she did whatever it was that she did. It had to be some sort of sorcery. No woman was capable of having a man so wrapped around her finger.

But who was he kidding?

This was (Y/N) (L/N), and she had a chokehold on his heart, without ever trying.

—

_**A week later (‘cuz I’m lazy, y’all)** _

“Look, I really appreciate how loving and forgiving, and an overall awesome person you can be, (N/N),” Jack said, as he placed a hand on her upper arm. “And trust me, I love you for it. But, please…I’m requesting you. Don’t trust Underwood.”

“Jack, I told you I only trust her-”

“Skill, not her as a person. I get that, love, but you shouldn’t,” Jack said. He looked so desperate in that moment, that (Y/N) almost caved in, and hugged him and told him that she will do whatever he wanted her to. “(Y/N), we’ll die. You’ll die. I really, really don’t want that to happen. I don’t know what I’d do with myself if-”

“Jack, we’ll both be alright,” (Y/N) said, cupping his cheek.

“(Y/N)…I really get it. I’m willing to understand your opinion on the entire ordeal,” Jack said. “You…you know what? It’s fine. It’s fine. I get it. Just, if you ever want any opinion or something, or want me to vouch on it, I’d be very glad to have Underwood behind bars.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” (Y/N) said, nodding. She sighed, before walking out.

—

“Hey,” (Y/N) greeted when she entered Daniel’s office and only found Jack.

“Hey,” he whispered.

“About what happened earlier-”

“I’m sorry!”

“No, I was just-” (Y/N)’s statement was cut off by the clearing of static from the long-distance plug-in communicator that Dottie and Michael were using.

“Does anybody copy?” Michael’s voice called out.

“Agent (L/N),” (Y/N) said, quickly moving to the device. “I copy.”

“(Y/N).” It was Dottie’s voice that spoke this time. This was possibly the first time (Y/N) had heard the spy sound nervous. Very, very slightly nervous, but nervous, nonetheless.

“Dottie, what’s going on there?” (Y/N) asked.

“She knew.”

“Come again?”

“Whitney Frost. She knew our cover. There’s currently about two dozen mafia men outside that door.”

“You both can’t fight off two dozen men?” Jack asked. “Underwood, last time I saw you, you could easily kill a ton of people, without breaking a sweat.”

“Two Dozen people, Jack,” (Y/N) said. “She’s not an inter-dimensional entity.”

“And I’m also kind of hurt,” Michael’s voice added in. “What do we do, (Y/N)?”

“I-”

“And for the first time in life, (Y/N) (L/N) doesn’t have a completely reckless plan out of a situation.”

“Sarcasm not appreciated, Jack,” (Y/N) said. “I…might have a plan.”

“Alright. What is it?” Michael asked.

“Oh no, no, no,” Jack interjected, when he saw the look on her face. “Hell nah!”

“Dottie, Michael, hold in there. We’ll get there as quick as we can.”

“(N/N), NO!”

—

“Is this regular for you?” Michael asked, staring at all the mafia men who lay dead. Jack, (Y/N) and an injured Michael had taken on half the men, while Dottie handled half of them.

“The completely reckless decisions that can get her killed any day?” Jack asked. “Yes, they are very regular for her.”

“I meant-Nevermind.”

The ride back to the SSR was awkward silence, except for Dottie. When they got to the SSR, Jack cuffed Dottie and Michael in the interrogation room. (Y/N) quietly followed him. When he walked into Daniel’s office, was when he finally looked at her. He mostly kept his expression guarded, but (Y/N) caught the slight disappointment.

“So…as usual, what you did was completely reckless.”

“Jack, it was the only alternative.”

“Oh really? Well, if you would have waited, we could have found something better. Something less-”

“They didn’t have time, Jack. They didn’t have any time. There were twenty-four men breaking down at that door.”

“Well, you’re smart. You would have figured out that they would just put that device back on Carter’s brother. They wouldn’t have killed him.”

“But they would have killed Dottie.”

“…What?” Jack looked at her with a surprised expression. “Are you saying-You-Why-”

“And for Michael, how bad do you think it would be to get that device back in his head?”

“YOU JUST RISKED YOUR LIFE FOR UNDERWOOD. UNDERWOOD, A SPY, A CRIMINAL.”

“Jack-”

“Go on. Deny it. I really need to hear you deny it.”

“Jack…I’m not going to deny it.”

“Oh, god. (Y/N), you-” Jack was starting to get restless. “For the last, almost two, months, you have been making reckless decision, after reckless decision, after reckless decision. And I have not once said anything to you, because I really don’t want to give up what we have between us. But, this is way too much.”

“Jack, she’s a person, too.”

“A person who happened to get Dooley and Yauch killed.”

“Jack-”

“You know what? I’m done. I’M DONE.”

“No, Jack-”

“Everyday…every single day, I’m just so sure that someone is going to be coming home, telling me, that you died. That I’ll never see you again. Just because you were too reckless. And you know what? I don’t want to be there. If you die, I really don’t know what I’d do with myself. But if you have a say in it, that day could be today.”

“Jack, she’s a person, too. She is just a really good spy with her loyalty on the wrong side.”

“THAT IS THE PROBLEM.”

“SHE IS MISLED.”

“(Y/N), we are not supposed to trust her. She is a spy for the other side.”

“Jack, she had plenty of opportunities to kill many of us, and to escape. She didn’t.”

“Are you telling me-”

“That I’m starting to trust her.”

“(Y/N), that’s-You know what? Leave.”

“What?”

“I can’t be with you anymore. Just leave. Please.”

“Jack, you can’t do this everytime you want to avoid an argument.”

“I damn well can.”

“You are misusing your power. You know that? This qualifies as misusing your power.”

“You are not welcome in the SSR until I return, and that is an official order.”

“Wait…Until you return?”

“Pack your bags, you’re on the next flight to New York.”


	29. Good Boy, Howard

“Jack, please.”

“(Y/N), look…I love you. More than anything. But I don’t want to be here when you die. I don’t want to see you die. And I just-I can’t be with you.”

“Jack, please. I’m really sorry.”

“It’s not just about today. It’s about every day that you have made these reckless decisions, and every day that you will continue to make these reckless decisions.”

“Jack, please don’t do this. You don’t have to do this.”

“I’m sorry. Please, just leave.”

—

“(Y/N)?”

“Oh, hey, Peg.”

“Why are you packing up?” Peggy asked, taking note of the messy room.

“I’m going back to New York.”

“What about Jack?”

“He…said he couldn’t be with me.”

“What?” Peggy was positively furious. “Why would he say that?”

“It’s just me. I give him regular scares.”

“That is not a reason, (Y/N). He can’t do that.”

“He can, Peg. I work under him.”

“You are not going anywhere, (Y/N). Put your bags down and I’ll go talk to him.”

“No, Peg, you really don’t have to.”

“Of course I do. He is being a blithering idiot.”

“Peggy, please don’t.”

“No, (Y/N). He is-”

“I SAID, DON’T,” (Y/N) yelled. Peggy looked at her with a surprised expression. “Don’t. This is between me and Jack. Please don’t try to bug in.”

“(Y/N), he didn’t mean it. You know that. He loves you.” (Y/N) looked at Peggy, before walking away.

—

“Jack,” Daniel sighed, as he walked into his office and found Jack sitting on a chair, staring off into the distance. “It’s been a week. You need to call her.”

“No, I don’t,” Jack said. “She’s better off.”

“You haven’t done anything remotely contributing towards the case,” Daniel said, sitting down across Jack. “You really need to see her, pal.”

“I…I do miss her.”

“You should go.”

“No, Sousa, I can’t.”

“Why the hell not?”

“The same reason I sent her in the first place.”

—

“That’s surprising,” Jack said, as he walked into the dining room for breakfast and saw Howard sitting on the chair, eating his breakfast. He was usually at the movie set during ‘Work Meetings.’

“Oh, hey, Ja-Jo-(Y/N)’s boyfriend. I can’t remember your name.”

“And you remember (Y/N)’s?” Jack asked, his brow raised.

“Of course, I do. Man, I’d give a hand and a foot to be with that girl.”

“I…don’t appreciate it,” Jack said, looking at him sceptically.

“Where is she, anyway?”

“New York,” Jack replied, making Howard look at him with a surprised expression.

“Why?”

“We’re in a rough spot,” Jack said, not comfortable, in the slightest, to be discussing this with America’s most notorious playboy. “I sent her back.”

“Does that mean I can have a shot at her?”

“NO!”

“Why not? If you’re not with her-”

“I’ll be leaving,” Jack said, quickly standing up. As he began walking out, Jarvis entered the room Jack stopped and turned to Jarvis. “Uh-Jarvis-Could you check the schedules and tell me when…the next flight to New York leaves?”

“Of course, Mister Thompson,” Jarvis said with a hint of a smile. When Jack walked out, Peggy slowly stood up from behind the kitchen counter. She smiled as she handed the bottle of scotch to Howard. He quickly opened it up.

“Good boy, Howard.”


	30. I had to see you

(Y/N) lay on the couch, fiddling with whatever she saw, as she had been for the last week. Her flat was a mess. Not that she cared. Her flat had been the same way since she came back. So, naturally, when the doorbell rang, she jolted up in surprise. She walked to the door, and she probably should have looked through the peephole, but honestly, she didn’t care at this point. She opened the door. And the moment she did, she started thinking about how she’d much rather have an assassin.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“I had to see you,” Jack said, his voice breaking slightly, but he showed no other sign of crying. But for (Y/N), that was enough. She caved in, and leapt into his arms, tears streaming down her face. He quickly wrapped his arms around her. God, he had left her to this point. He was so daft.

“I’m sorry,” (Y/N) whispered with her face in his chest.

“No, I’m sorry,” he said, tracing a hand down her back. “I’m so sorry. I’m so dumb. I had the most beautiful woman in the world, and I mucked it up.”

“Jack, it’s okay. You didn’t muck it up,” she said, looking up at him, tears still streaming down her face. “I could never not love you.”

“(Y/N)-” His words were cut off by (Y/N) pulling him down by the collar and placing a kiss on his lips. It was gentle and conveyed what they had felt over the past week.

‘I missed you’

—

“Are we going to be returning to Los Angeles?” (Y/N) asked Jack, as they both sat in her slightly tidier flat.

“We probably should,” Jack said, lazily. “But Christmas is so close. Maybe we should go visit Gam-Gam.”

“Yeah. That’s a good idea,” (Y/N) said. “Let’s just hope the L.A. office can manage without us for a while.”

“I’ll call mom and let her know,” Jack said, standing up, placing a kiss on her lips, before walking into the foyer, and calling Giana. (Y/N) stared at his form.

He was handsome, wonderful, loving, and hers.

—

“How long are you going to be staying?” John asked, as he carried (Y/N) and Jack’s bags upstairs. (Y/N) followed him.

“We’ll leave after Christmas,” (Y/N) said. (Y/N) and John had decided to go home and get (Y/N) and Jack’s stuff settled. Jack and Giana had decided to stay with Gam-Gam.

“I suppose you’ll be sharing the bed,” John said, giving (Y/N) a suggestive look.

“DAD!”

“Just saying,” John said, as he opened the door. “You did the do yet?”

“No, Dad, we didn’t,” (Y/N) said with a look of finality. She walked into the room, and John followed her, chuckling.

“There’s nothing embarrassing with it. That’s how Jack was born. That’s how you were born.”

“Dad,” (Y/N) sighed, as John placed the bags down. “That doesn’t have to mean that I’m comfortable with it.”

“(Y/N),” John said, turning to (Y/N). “You don’t have to be. But Giana and I both know that you are perfect for Jack.”

“Thank you, John,” (Y/N) said, sincerely.

“And besides, you both are the only ones crazy enough for each other.”

—

“Gam-Gam’s going to burst with excitement, I swear,” Jack said, as they both lay in bed that night.

“What happened?” (Y/N) asked, curiously.

“Nothing. She just still can’t believe that I asked you out,” Jack said.

“Yeah. Well…a lot has happened since,” (Y/N) said, laughing slightly. “You know, I’m glad that we’re back. We were overworking ourselves and L.A. was just…not the best.”

“Yeah,” Jack said, smiling slightly. “I’m glad too.”

“God, I love you,” (Y/N) whispered, as she flipped him over, so that she was lying on his chest. She leaned down and kissed him passionately, and he kissed back, almost feverishly.

“I love you too,” Jack said, after she pulled away. They both looked into each other’s eyes, both slightly breathless. The moment was broken when the door swung open with a loud thud.

“No funny business in my house.”

“Dad! Where you just standing there the whole time?” (Y/N) asked.

“Way to ruin the moment, John.”

“Mom!”

“Giana!”


	31. Merry Christmas

“Morning,” Jack whispered when (Y/N) blinked her eyes open. “Sleep well?”

“Yeah,” (Y/N) said, groggily. “What ‘bout you?”

“I always sleep well,” Jack said. (Y/N) glared at him, but it quickly changed into a laugh. Jack laughed along, nervously. She could  
look positively dangerous when she wanted to.

“What’s the time?”

“Quarter past five,” Jack informed. “Mom’s asleep, so we either fix ourselves breakfast, or we just lay here, waiting.”

“I like the latter,” (Y/N) said, smiling as she snuggled into his chest. He smiled down at her. God, she was adorable and he was  
never letting go, again.

“I had a word with Carter in the morning.”

“And?”

“She’s been working on it. She told me not to tell you this but they’re now working to arrest Whitney Frost. She said you  
wouldn’t be too happy with that.”

“Meh.”

“Meh?”

“Yeah, I mean, we can’t let Whitney Frost get hold of the Zero Matter again. And my previous plan to sabotage her didn’t go too  
well, did it?”

“I suppose that makes sense.”

“I think the SSR should get custody of her this time.”

“I’ll let her know you said that. Or…I would, if I wanted her to murder me for telling you,” Jack said, making (Y/N) laugh. “You  
wanna go out?”

“It’s cold,” (Y/N) whined, wrapping herself in a tangle of blankets and Jack’s limbs. Jack shook his head at her, before detaching  
himself and standing up, causing (Y/N) to whine at the sudden lack of warmth. He quickly dragged the blankets off her. She  
curled into a ball, much to Jack’s amusement.

“Get out of bed, lazy,” he said, laughing as she whined, before standing up. She stretched, before wrapping the blanket across  
her shoulders and moving to brush her teeth. He followed her. When they were both done brushing their teeth and had a quick  
change of clothes, they made their way out.

“The weather’s kinda annoying,” Jack said, clasping (Y/N)’s hand in his. “I mean, it’s so, so cold, but it won’t snow.”

“I’m starting to miss L.A. a little,” (Y/N) said, as she shivered a bit. Now this is the part where the boy gives the girl his jacket,  
right? Ha, no.

“You’re cold,” Jack observed.

“Yeah. Thanks for pointing that out, genius.”

“I would offer you my jacket, but I’m pretty cold too and you already have a jacket.”

“Ass.”

“What? I feel cold too, you know,” Jack said, defensively. (Y/N) rolled her eyes, leaning into his side. He wrapped his arm  
around her. Despite the weather, he was warm. Very, very warm. They both sat down at a park bench. (Y/N) was snuggled into  
his side, as they both observed the activities of early risers around them. It was good to see the world without a spy’s mindset,  
for once in a while.

“Ummm-Excuse me,” a meek, little voice said. (Y/N) and Jack turned around to see a small, barely nine years old, boy, looking at  
the two, nervously. “Could you-Could you please…I-I was playing and my ball got stuck in the tree. Could you help me out? I  
can’t call mother, because she doesn’t know I’m here.”

“Slow down, kid,” (Y/N) said, looking at him, gently. “What are you doing out at this time? And in this weather? You could catch  
a cold.”

“I just really wanted to play,” the boy said, looking down, guilt on his expression.

“That’s alright,” (Y/N) said, placing a comforting hand on the kid’s shoulder. “Where is it?”

“It’s on that tree,” the kid said, pointing to a, luckily, short tree.

“Alright. We’ll get it for you, but you have to promise that you’ll go back home, and only come out after informing your mother.  
You really don’t wanna catch a cold.”

“You won’t tell her, okay?”

“Promise,” (Y/N) said, smiling warmly. Jack looked at her, and almost missed it when she turned to him. “Jack, could you please  
help us out?”

“Uh-What with? Oh, right, the ball,” Jack stuttered, as he stood up and let the kid lead him to the tree. When he had retrieved  
the ball and handed it to the kid, he made his way back to (Y/N), as the kid went back home.

“You know,” (Y/N) said. “I never knew you looked so attractive from behind.”

“I’m sorry?”

“I mean, your shoulders are so well formed. And your posture is so attractive, for some reason. And let’s not talk about your a-”

“I think that’s enough! We should go home.”

—

“Where were you kids?” Giana asked, as soon as (Y/N) and Jack walked back into the house.

“Oh, hey. Morning, mom. We were just out on a walk.”

“Yeah. Talking about Jack’s-”

“My work skill,” Jack quickly cut off, looking at (Y/N), pointedly. (Y/N) smirked at him.

“Which is not very great, if you must know, Gi,” (Y/N) said, making Giana laugh out loud, as Jack looked at the two with a  
betrayed look.

“You kids sit down. I’ll have your breakfast fixed,” Giana said. (Y/N) sat down at the table.

“I’ll go call Sousa. See if anything came up,” Jack said, quietly, when Giana was in the kitchen. (Y/N) nodded in  
acknowledgement. (Y/N) sat at the table, skimming through the morning paper, as Giana worked in the kitchen.

“Where’d he go?” Giana asked, as she walked to the table with two plates of sandwiches. (Y/N) quickly stood up to help her set  
it down

“He’s on a call. For work.”

“The phone company can’t leave you alone for a break?” John’s voice asked, as the man himself lazily walked into the room.  
Giana went to kiss him and (Y/N) quickly turned around and went into the kitchen to pick up the remaining two plates of  
sandwiches. When she went back to the table, John and Giana were, luckily, sitting on the table, opposite each other. John  
looked at her with an expectant look, and (Y/N) quickly fished into her memory for the question John had asked her before  
Giana…indulged him.

“Oh, the Phone Company is more than willing to leave us alone. He’s just a workaholic.”

“Is he?”

“Yeah. He’s always doing everything for a promotion,” (Y/N) said, almost smiling at the irony of the situation.

“Oh, am I?” Jack asked, walking into the room, and sitting down on the only empty chair. (Y/N) quickly looked down at her  
plate.

“Yes, you are.”

—

“Daniel tell you anything?” (Y/N) asked, during what was her second stroll that day.

“Nothing much. Your new friend’s missing you,” Jack said, causing (Y/N) to look at him with a raised brow.

“…New friend?”

“Underwood,” Jack clarified.

“She’s not my friend,” (Y/N) said.

“That’s gonna hurt her,” Jack said, making (Y/N) smile a little.

“Anything else he tell you?”

“Nothing much. Nothing you need to worry yourself about.”

“Somehow, that’s not very convincing,” (Y/N) said, making Jack chuckle. (Y/N) looked up at the clouds. “I feel like it’s gonna  
snow.”

“That would be great,” Jack said. (Y/N) motioned to the park bench. He moved to the bench, and subsequently, so did (Y/N),  
considering how she was latched onto his arm. “Could you-loosen a bit?”

“Huh?”

“Your grip is tighter than you think,” Jack said, as they both sat down.

“Oh, sorry,” (Y/N) said, quickly letting go. Jack smiled. They both sat, observing the bustling activity of the people around them.

“You know,” Jack began. “Most of these people served during the war. And now that the war is over, they are all leading normal  
lives. And there’s me. The war’s over, but I still risk my life, everyday.”

“Atleast you served in the war,” (Y/N) said, placing her head on his shoulder. “I just started working for the SSR, out of the  
blue.”

“And yet, you’re one of the best spies we have.”

“Stop! You’re just trying to flatter me.”

“Maybe,” Jack said, with a smirk. They both sat comfortably, before (Y/N) felt something wet on her hair. Her hand flew up to  
her hair, feeling whatever it was. She looked at her gloves, and smiled.

“Snow!” (Y/N) exclaimed. Jack’s smile grew wide. They both stood up and into the clearing. The snow quickly started covering  
the landscape, and honestly, (Y/N) was enjoying it until Jack hurled a snowball at her. She looked at him, and he smirked at her.

“Get some.”

“It’s on,” (Y/N) said, quickly gathering the snow in one hand.

_**One snowball fight later** _

(Y/N) and Jack sat in the window nook in Jack’s room, looking out at the snow. They had come back in when the snow started  
getting heavy. After a quick change of clothes, they were sitting, cuddled up, with blankets, and hot chocolate, courtesy of  
Giana Thompson.

“You know, we really deserved this break,” Jack said, placing a kiss on (Y/N)’s shoulder. She craned her neck and smiled a little,  
humming.

“I love you,” she said, barely above a whisper.

“I love you too,” he whispered, as she turned around and kissed him.

“Merry Christmas, Jack.”

“Merry Christmas, (N/N).”


	32. Mary Watson

“(Y/N), just calm down,” Jack said to a frantic (Y/N). “It’s alright. You’ve done much more difficult stuff.”

“No, Jack, but this is different,” (Y/N) said, exasperated.  
  


“(Y/N), you’ll get through this.”  
  


“Get through it? Jack, I don’t think I have the energy to deal with all the small talk.”  
  


“How bad can it get?”  
  


“It’s Mary Watson’s Christmas Eve Party.”  
  


“Yeah, well, alright. It can get very bad,” Jack said.  
  


“Remember her party? The one where-”  
  


“She tried to kiss me? Yeah, I remember that.”  
  


_A twenty-years old Jack stood against the wall, (Y/N) beside him, drink in her hand, as they both observed all the people at the  
party.  
  
_

_“Half the people in here are not supposed to be drinking,” Jack whined. (Y/N) rolled her eyes.  
  
_

_“You’re not drinking,” (Y/N) said, with a tone of finality.  
  
_

_“Come on, (N/N). What Mom doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”  
  
_

_“It’s not just about promising Giana to keep you in check, it’s about-”  
  
_

_“Jack!” a high-pitched squeal cut her off. They both turned around to look at Mary Watson, the resident nerd. Rich, but nerdy.  
  
_

_“Watson?” She was clearly drunk. She flung her arms around him, much to his discomfort.  
  
_

_“You are so cute,” she said, emphasizing each word, separately, much to (Y/N)’s amusement. Jack looked at her with a ‘Help me’  
expression, and she just smirked at him. (Y/N)’s eyes widened a little as Watson tried pulling Jack into a kiss. Jack quickly pushed  
her away.  
  
_

_“Watson, please stop.”  
  
_

_“But why? You are so cute.”_   
  


“No, actually, I was talking about that one time when-”  
  


“Oh, that one time when her brother stripped naked. That was embarrassing.”  
  


_“How do I look?” a very drunk John Watson asked his boy-pals.  
  
_

_“Great,” one of them said.  
  
_

_“Oh, geez,” Jack muttered. Despite everyone’s protests, John had gone through his ‘plan.’ He was currently standing on the  
counter top, with only his briefs. “You have to stop him.”  
  
_

_“Yeah,” (Y/N) sighed, before turning to John. “Alright, John. I’ll go on a date with you. I don’t have to see you strip naked.”  
  
_

_“Promise?” he asked.  
  
_

_“Promise. Just, please, put on some clothes.”  
  
_

_“Moral of the day,” Jack muttered. “Never let the Watson siblings get too drunk.”_   
  


“I actually meant that one time when-”  
  


“Oh, that one time McMillan broke her mother’s vase, and her mother locked McMillan on her roof.”

“That was dramatic, but I was talking about the one time when you said Watson’s hair looked like a bird’s nest, she started  
crying and her mother got really angry, and then kicked us both out and told us that we were never allowed in this house ever again,” (Y/N) said, as they both stood infront of the very house in question.  
  


“Right,” Jack nodded, bringing his hand up to knock. Before he could place a third knock, the door swung open, knocking Jack slightly off-balance, before he was scooped up into a huge hug, much to both (Y/N) and Jack’s horror.  
  


“Jack!” Mary Watson’s annoyingly familiar voice squealed. After a while, she let go of Jack. “It’s so good to see you again.”  
  


“Can’t say the same,” Jack grumbled, but neither (Y/N) nor Mary heard.  
  


“(L/N),” she greeted.  
  


“Watson,” (Y/N) greeted back.  
  


“I see you’re still attached to him, at the hip,” Watson said.  
  


“I see your hair still looks like a bird’s nest,” (Y/N) rebutted. Jack watched, awkwardly, as the two woman laughed. Very fake laughs. Watson hugged (Y/N), both with very annoyed expressions behind their backs.  
  


“I think we should-” Jack began.  
  


“Oh, yes, come in,” Watson said, opening the door. Jack walked in, but as (Y/N) walked in, the door quickly shut in her face.  
  


“Watson,” (Y/N) heard Jack’s voice.  
  


“Oh, yeah. Sorry,” Watson’s voice said, before the door opened. (Y/N) smiled, spitefully, before walking in. For about twenty minutes into the party, Watson was latched onto Jack and (Y/N). Mostly Jack.

“You know,” (Y/N) began when Watson had gone to get them drinks. “I’m very, very unsurprised by her sudden interest in you after you got all…you know”  
  


“Got all what?” Jack asked, his tone teasing.  
  


“You know,” (Y/N) said, groaning when Jack looked at her with an expectant look. “Handsome.”  
  


“And?”  
  


“Hot.”  
  


“And?”  
  


“Successful.”  
  


“Are you jealous, (N/N)?” Jack asked, smirking at her.  
  


“Please, Jack. Don’t be ridiculous. She’s nothing compared to me,” (Y/N) said.  
  


“(Y/N), that was a little rude,” Jack said, but (Y/N) saw him trying to bite down a smile.  
  


“And besides,” (Y/N) drawled. She placed a hand on his chest, looking up at him, and god, that look made him go crazy. She  
leaned close to his face. “I know how surprisingly annoying she can be, and how irresistibly tempting I can be.”  
  


“(Y/N),” Jack whispered, leaning down to kiss her, but she pulled back. He looked at her with a pleading look, and she smirked.  
  


“Control yourself, Thompson,” (Y/N) said, resuming her previous position. God, she was evil. Jack was looking at her when Watson walked back to them with two glasses. God, why wasn’t he surprised?  
  


“(Y/N), I’m sorry. I think we’re out of whiskey. I’ve sent John to get more, but I guess you’ll have to wait.”  
  


“Oh, that’s fine,” (Y/N) said, with a very fake smile. “Although, I can see your brother in the lobby, getting drunk, and can see that he won’t be going out anytime soon, and I can also see people in the kitchen getting refills from what appear to be whiskey bottles, I prefer wine, anyway.”

“I-” Watson looked at (Y/N) like a deer in headlights. Jack had to cover his mouth to stop laughing. (Y/N) smiled. Watson stuttered a bit, before handing the whiskey glass to Jack, who handed it to (Y/N), as Watson used the second glass for herself. Of course she did. (Y/N) took a sip from her glass, before handing it to Jack, as he did the same.  
  


“I bet she’s wishing she got me a glass too,” (Y/N) whispered, lowly, as the two shared the glass. Jack chuckled.  
  


“It’s so great to have you, Jack,” Watson said. “You’re never here during Christmas.”  
  


“Actually,” (Y/N) butt in. “We’re always here during Christmas. It’s you that’s always gone.”  
  


“Right,” Watson chuckled. Very artificially chuckled. “Being married can be difficult.”  
  


“You’re married?” (Y/N) asked, looking at her, surprised. Almost as if on cue, a man walked up and wrapped his arm around Watson’s waist.  
  


“Yes, I am,” Watson said. (Y/N) and Jack looked at each other, and back at the couple.  
  


“Do all married women tend to be this flirty?” (Y/N) asked. Watson’s husband laughed.  
  


“Mary’s just very friendly,” he said. (Y/N) chuckled.  
  


“Right,” (Y/N) mumbled. She then handed the empty whiskey glass to Jack. He looked at her with a questioning look, and she looked back with a pointed look. “Jack will go get a refill, won’t you?”  
  


“Uh-yeah,” Jack said, quickly nodding. He excused himself to the kitchen. (Y/N) made some small talk with Watson and her husband, before walking away, into the kitchen. Jack turned around, just as she approached him. “(Y/N)?”  
  


“Jack.”  
  


“You didn’t want a refill, did you?” Jack asked, with a chuckle.  
  


“No, Watson was just boring me into oblivion,” (Y/N) said, plopping herself onto the kitchen counter. Jack placed the glass down and approached (Y/N).  
  


“Or…you wanted me to get away from her,” he said, with a teasing look.  
  


“I really didn’t,” (Y/N) said.  
  


“Well, then you wanted me to yourself, away from prying eyes,” Jack said with a suggestive look.  
  


“Which is also not true,” (Y/N) said. “Stop tooting your own horn, Thompson.”  
  


“A man can hope,” Jack said, barely above a whisper, invading into (Y/N)’s barely existing personal space.  
  


“You’re being overly charming, lately,” (Y/N) observed.  
  


“Am I?” Jack asked, feigning innocence. “Well, then you shouldn’t hurt a man’s ego.”  
  


“Uh-huh.”  
  


“A dance?” Jack asked, extending his hand forward. (Y/N) smiled, taking his hand and following him.  
  


(Y/N) just might have done it for some one-on-one time with Jack.

So what?


	33. First Female Chief

**_Timeskip after Christmas_ **

“Long time, no see, (L/N),” the ever so annoying Agent Fox said.  
  


“Can’t say I’ve been looking forward to this, Fox,” (Y/N) said, her tone snappy. 

“Don’t worry, we’re just here to make sure you aren’t running around like wildcats. We’ll be out of your hair soon.”  
  


“Chief is currently tormenting Watson.”  
  


“As I am aware,” (Y/N) said, before walking towards Jack’s office, mumbling under her breath. “God, I kinda miss L.A.”  
  


“I might as well have left the office without anyone in charge,” (Y/N) heard as she approached the office. “Give me one reason not to stick your ass on permanent desk duty, this very second.”  
  


“Jack,” (Y/N) sighed, walking into the office. Jack looked at her with a questioning look. “Agent Watson, I think you can leave.”  
  


“Yeah,” Watson squeaked. She quickly scurried out, as Jack stood up.  
  


“What was that about?” Jack asked, when he had gone and shut the door behind him.  
  


“Leave him be, Jack,” (Y/N) said, walking towards him.  
  


“Leave him be? (N/N), he mucked everything up.”  
  


“He really didn’t, Jack,” (Y/N) said, sighing. “Come on. Think rationally. What was it that he mucked up worse than we already had?”  
  


“…Nothing,” Jack said, after thinking for a while. “But I’ve lost any faith in his skill.”  
  


“You need to apologize to him, Jack,” (Y/N) said, making Jack whip his head to look up at her.  
  


“Apologize?” he asked, looking at her like she’d just grown an extra pair of arms. (Y/N) looked back at him with ‘Why not?’ look. “Absolutely not, (L/N).”  
  


“But why?”  
  


“I am not apologizing to a junior agent.”  
  


—  
  


“Chief, you called?” Watson asked, poking his head into Jack’s office.  
  


“Why, yes, he did,” (Y/N) said, quickly. “Have a seat, Agent Watson.”  
  


“Okay?” Watson said, but it sounded more like a question, as he sat down.  
  


“He has something to say. Don’t you, Jack?” (Y/N) said, looking pointedly at Jack. He smiled, nervously.  
  


“Yeah. Agent Watson…I realized that I was rude to you…when you were in my office, previously. And I might have overreacted a bit,” Jack looked like it took him extreme strength to get the words out.  
  


“And?” (Y/N) encouraged.  
  


“And I’m sorry, Agent Watson,” Jack said.  
  


“Chief, you don’t need to apologize. I’m alright,” Watson said.  
  


“Great. Then you can go now,” (Y/N) said. Watson looked at the two of them, weirdly, before walking out. Jack exhaled.  
  


“I can’t believe that just happened,” he said, and (Y/N) sent him a teasing smile.  
  


“That wasn’t so bad,” (Y/N) said. Jack rolled his eyes.  
  


“You’re a real pain in my ass.”  
  


—  
  


“Do we really need to do this?” (Y/N) asked, groaning, as she walked into the sparring area, following Jack. The rest of the agents had gone for the night, and only the night shift Agents remained. “I mean, right after Christmas?”  
  


“What’s so wrong with 'right after Christmas?’” Jack asked.  
  


“You wanna get your ass kicked right after Christmas?”  
  


“Why do I have a feeling that you’ll be the one getting your ass kicked?” Jack asked, mockingly, as he he walked onto the mat, and (Y/N) stood on the side, her arms crossed. “What’s the problem? Scared?”  
  


“Never,” (Y/N) said, walking onto the mat herself. She took a fighting stance, looking at Jack. She waited for him to engage first. He aimed for her left side. She quickly slid right, and grabbed him into a chokehold from behind. Almost as if he’d been anticipating it, he grabbed her arms and flipped her forward, causing her to land on her butt. Ouch. “How’d you do that?”  
  


“You were in a very compromising position,” he simply replied. "Again?“  
  


"Again.”  
  


This time, (Y/N) lunged at him, kicking his feet from under him, but he quickly regained balance. She attempted pinning him down, but he grabbed her arm, twisting it and pinning her down, instead.  
  


“I thought I was going to get my ass kicked today?” Jack mocked, letting her go, as she stood up.  
  


“Again,” she said, looking at him, determined.  
  


He waited for her to engage first, and when she didn’t, he quickly went for her legs. He pulled as she struggled to release his grip. She kicked his hand away, but he quickly managed to twist her calf. She yelped in pain, as he pulled her onto the ground. He pushed up his knee against her back, and waited to see if she would make any further movement. When she didn’t, he let go, and stood up.  
  


“You’ve forgotten everything I taught you, haven’t you?”  
  


“What am I doing wrong?” she asked, sitting on the ground. He looked down at her. She had a scratch on her right cheek. He sat down infront of her, and ran her hand across it. It looked like a nail scratch. Nothing to worry about.  
  


“Do you remember what I taught you?” he asked.  
  


“Well…you’ll have to be more specific,” she said, not meeting his eyes.  
  


“(Y/N)…now, look, don’t give me one of your female empowerment speeches, alright? Just listen to me,” Jack said. “But you know that I’m stronger than you.”  
  


“Str-”  
  


“Like, physically stronger than you. All muscles, and everything.”  
  


“Well, actually, brain is a musc-”  
  


“And whenever you’re fighting a stronger opponent…”  
  


“You use their strength against them,” (Y/N) said, remembering. “Yeah. I remember.”  
  


“So you see what you were doing wrong?”  
  


“I do,” (Y/N) said, nodding, finally meeting his gaze. He smiled, before standing up.  
  


“Again?”  
  


“Again.”  
  


Jack aimed for her left side, again. She side-stepped him. He pulled her arm, twisting it, she turned around, ducking from underneath it, before kicking his knee, causing him to momentarily lose balance. As soon as he regained balance, he bought her into a chokehold, one arm at her neck, and the other holding both her arms off. She struggled, before pushing her entire weight backwards, into Jack, causing him to stumble. She turned him over, her knee over his stomach and her hands at his neck. He looked at her for a moment, before pushing her off, even as she pushed her knee as deep as she could, without causing him any actual harm. He flipped her over, nonetheless. She look at him with a raised brow, before kicking him right where it hurts. He doubled over and collapsed beside her in pain. She pinned him down, and he made no other move. He just lay there, his eyes shut, his face contorted in pain. She smirked.  
  


“You didn’t have to do that,” he said, finally looking up at (Y/N), and Dear Lord-were those tears? “You really didn’t.”  
  


“Again.”  
  


“Yeah. Just a moment. Give me a moment.”  
  


—  
  


“So when do we leave for Los Angeles?” (Y/N) asked, as she walked into Jack’s office, back in her blouse and skirt. He looked up at her.  
  


“Oh, right. About that…I was thinking that you should stay here.”  
  


“WHAT?”  
  


“Don’t take it in the wrong way. I just…I’m a little sceptical, okay?”  
  


“What are you talking about, Jack?” (Y/N) asked, walking up to him. He looked at her and took a deep breath.  
  


“IthinkIshouldleaveyouincharge,” he said, looking at (Y/N) as if he was waiting for a bomb to drop.  
  


“I didn’t get that.”  
  


“Oh, for god’s sake. I said, I think I should leave you in charge.”  
  


“Wait. Hold on,” (Y/N) said, looking at Jack as if he’d just announced he’s a Martian. “You want me to be chief?”  
  


“Acting chief,” he muttered, without making eye contact.  
  


“A chief, nonetheless,” (Y/N) said, letting out a surprised laugh. “I’m a woman.”  
  


“Yeah. I noticed,” Jack said, dryly.  
  


“Are you sure I didn’t hit you too hard?”  
  


“I’m being serious, (Y/N),” Jack said.  
  


“Who are you and what have you done to Jack Thompson?” (Y/N) asked, some part of her genuinely believing that wasn’t the same man.  
  


“(Y/N), please. You’re scaring me,” Jack said, making (Y/N) snap out of it.  
  


“Yeah, right.”  
  


“If you think it’s too much, that’s alright.”  
  


“No, I-Uh…It’s a very tempting offer…But I think I’d be much more use in Los Angeles,” (Y/N) said. Jack cupped her cheek, and made her look up at him. He could see that she really wanted to take up the offer. He could also see what was stopping her.  
  


“(Y/N),” he sighed. “I’ll update you every night. I’ll tell you even the smallest advancement and I’ll call you if I need your help.”  
  


“Jack-”  
  


“I’ll be alright.”  
  


“I’m not-”  
  


“(N/N), what I’m saying is that if you have any restraints on you, anything stopping you from doing it, consider that hurdle gone. Unless you don’t want to do it. Then, it’s okay. But I can see that you want to,” Jack explained. (Y/N) looked up at him, her expression softened. She grabbed his shirt collar, pulling him down and kissing him. He reciprocated. Quite feverishly, if you must know. They pulled away when air became a problem. “Should I take that as a yes?”  
  


“Yeah,” (Y/N) nodded.  
  


“Great! I leave tomorrow. Quarter past noon,” Jack said, leaning down to steal another kiss. “I think we should spend the night together. God knows when we’ll see each other again.”  
  


“Agreed,” (Y/N) said, as they both walked out of his office. He locked the door to the office, as (Y/N) gathered her stuff from her table. They both walked out into the chilly winter. (Y/N) leaned her head on Jack’s shoulder. “Do you promise you’ll call whenever you need anything?”  
  


“Yeah. Stop fretting. I will.”  
  


“Think those dogs in your New York office will listen to me?”  
  


“If they don’t, just give me a call.”  
  


“I don’t need you solving my problems,” (Y/N) said, making Jack playfully roll his eyes.  
  


“Typical.”  
  


“Wait. Jack…I-I just realized something,” (Y/N) said, as she suddenly stopped moving. Jack looked at her with a questioning look.  
  


“What is it?”  
  


“…First female chief of the SSR, Acting or otherwise,” she said, looking at him with her eyes slightly wide.  
  


“Well, then it will be quite a big day for you,” Jack said, attempting to appear nonchalant.  
  


First Female Chief of the SSR.  
  


His girl.  
  


He liked the sound of that.


	34. Interrogating Whitney Frost

(Y/N) sighed, as she walked into the SSR, next day, at quarter to one. She had just kissed Jack goodbye, told him to call her once he reached L.A. and ordered him not to die, as he left for L.A. She walked into Jack’s office. Her office. She unlocked the office and walked in. It would have been good on a cinematic level if she hadn’t gotten interrupted by Fox.  
  


“You authorized to be in there without the Chief?” he asked.  
  


“I am, actually,” (Y/N) said, making Fox look at her with a questioning look. "Agent Fox, you’re looking at (Y/N) (L/N), Acting Chief of the SSR, New York.“

"You?” Fox asked, looking at her with his oh-so misogynist look. “Hold on. I’ll just make a quick call.”  
  


“Of course,” (Y/N) said, watching him walk out, and smirked, knowing there was no use. Jack had most likely already boarded the plane. She pretended to be looking at the file in her hand, while she listened carefully to the conversation.  
  


“Walter, pull out the number to the airport from the directory. I need to have a word with Chief,” Fox said. Walter looked up at him, before fetching the directory. (Y/N) heard Fox dial a number.  
  


“What’s it about?” Agent Walter asked. Fox shushed him. After a few moments, someone on the other end seemed to have picked the phone up.  
  


“Hello…Yes, I wanted to inquire…Has flight F-274 boarded?…Is there any way we can-Never mind…Thank you.”  
  


“Hey, Fox, what’s going on?”  
  


“Chief’s plane boarded,” Fox informed.  
  


“…And?”  
  


“He left (L/N) in charge,” Fox said, earning whispers, murmurs and commotion among the agents.  
  


“What if she’s lying? I mean…Chief isn’t stupid. He wouldn’t leave a woman in charge.”  
  


“But why would she lie? When Chief finds out, she could get fired.”  
  


“Chief told anyone else to take charge?” Walter asked. His question was met with murmurs of ‘No.’ He sighed. “Well, then Chief really did leave her in charge.”  
  


“Perks of sleeping with the Chief, I suppose,” Fox said. (Y/N) stood up, making her way to the office door. She opened it and everyone in the room tensed up.  
  


“You men have something significant to do?” (Y/N) asked. All of them fumbled and stumbled back into their desks. “If anyone feels like they’re running out of stuff to do…Just tell me. I have some stuff you could do to make yourselves useful. Is that alright with all of you?”  
  


“Yes, Chief,” a few of them muttered.  
  


“Good. Because even if it wasn’t, I wouldn’t much care.”  
  


—  
  


(Y/N) was so engrossed in the file she was reading, that she actually jumped when the phone rang. She quickly composed herself and picked the receiver up.  
  


“(Y/N) (L/N),” she spoke into the receiver.  
  


“That’s Chief (L/N) for now,” the un-mistakable voice of Jack Thompson said. (Y/N) playfully rolled her eyes.  
  


“Hello to you, too.”  
  


“I just called to let you know that I reached L.A.”  
  


“So…anything interesting happen in the SSR while we were gone?”  
  


“I don’t know. I didn’t go to the SSR yet. I’m thinking I’ll unwind for today and go to the SSR tomorrow.”  
  


“That sounds about right,” (Y/N) said with a slight smile. “Oh. I almost forgot. Fox wanted to have a word with you.”  
  


“Oh god. If it’s what I think it’s about,” Jack mumbled, as (Y/N) called Fox into the office.  
  


“Agent Fox, you wanted to talk to Chief Thompson?”  
  


“Yeah,” Fox muttered. (Y/N) handed him the receiver.  
  


“There you go,” (Y/N) said with a sickly sweet smile.  
  


“Chief…Yeah. We were wondering if you left (L/N) in charge…We all think she’s bluffing…You did?…No…No problem at all…Yes, sir.”  
  


“That sounded fruitful,” (Y/N) muttered as Fox handed her the receiver, and walked out into the bullpen.  
  


“Misogynist jerk,” was the first thing (Y/N) heard when she put the receiver back on her ear. She rolled her eyes.  
  


“What about you? You aren’t misogynist?”  
  


“Well, excuse me, but who appointed you as acting chief?”  
  


“That’s just because you love me,” (Y/N) said, and she would give anything to look at the expression on his face when she did. “Let’s take Peggy for an example. Would you appoint her the acting chief if I wasn’t there and you were supposed to leave?”  
  


“…No.”  
  


“And there you have it.”  
  


“Well, it’s a progress. I’m trying, okay?”  
  


“Awww…I know.”  
  


“Yeah. Whatever. You’re a pain in my ass.”  
  


“But you love me.”  
  


“Unfortunately.”  
  


—  
 ** _Timeskip because nothing relevant happened for quite a while_**

In the month that Jack had been gone, (Y/N) had gotten used to her desk phone, yes, she called it her now, ringing at the exact same time every night. She quickly picked the receiver up.  
  


“Chief (L/N),"she spoke.  
  


"Evening, Chief.”  
  


“Hi, Jack.”  
  


“How’s stuff holding up in the New York office?”  
  


“There’s nothing happening. We’ve got just one case in a month. Everyone’s stuck at desk duty.”  
  


“That’s not necessarily a bad thing.”  
  


“I miss you.”  
  


“Well, then you’re gonna like this even more.”  
  


“I’m sorry?”  
  


“You might have to fly out to L.A. Marge got hold of Whitney Frost-”  
  


“That’s great.”  
  


“And she’s currently in SSR custody.”  
  


“That’s better.”  
  


“And we think you should be here when we interrogate her.”  
  


“Oh?”  
  


“It’s up to you, but I think you should be here.”  
  


“I’ll see. I think I’ll come.”  
  


“Great!” Jack exclaimed. “Besides, I miss you too. A lot.”  
  


—  
  


“Don’t tell me you left Watson in charge,” Jack said, when (Y/N) walked into the SSR L.A.  
  


“Walter,” she told.  
  


“Well he’s slightly better than Watson,” he said, earning a glare from her. She walked up to him and he smiled. “I didn’t think you’d be here by today.”  
  


“Well, what can I say? I’ve been dying to see you,” (Y/N) said with a teasing smile as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into a kiss. (Y/N) smiled in satisfaction. She really missed doing this. The kiss was verging between appropriate and inappropriate. They broke away when someone cleared their throat behind them. (Y/N) turned to look at one of the younger agents. She shot him a dirty look and he quickly looked away. (Y/N) placed another kiss on Jack’s lips. He smiled as he looked down at her.  
  


“I missed you,” Jack whispered.  
  


“Meh. I prefer your office over you,” (Y/N) teased. He rolled his eyes. “I’m joking. I missed you a lot.”  
  


“Alright. That’s sweet. But I need a hug,” a familiar voice said. (Y/N) and Jack turned to look and Jack’s eyes widened. “I missed you so much, (Y/N).”  
  


“Hello to you too, Dottie,” (Y/N) said. Jack quickly went towards her and grabbed her wrist, presumably dragging her into the holding cell. Dottie looked over Jack’s shoulder to pout at (Y/N). (Y/N) waved her goodbye.  
  


“She is a huge problem,” Jack said, after he came back, having locked her back up. “She has broken out of those cuffs for the third time today.”  
  


“And she hasn’t run away yet. That is why I’m starting to trust her.”  
  


“I’m not having this discussion with you, again.”  
  


“Agreed. Last time didn’t end well,” (Y/N) joked. “So…where’s Whitney Frost?”  
  


“Interrogation room,” Jack said. (Y/N) nodded, walking away, and standing behind the one-way mirror, where Daniel was. Jack followed her. Peggy was standing inside the interrogation room.  
  


“Miss Frost,” Peggy said, as she stood, leaning against the table. Whitney just looked straight ahead. “You know you’re in quite a tight spot, here.”  
  


“Daniel, you updated the file on Whitney Frost after the Isodyne Case?” (Y/N) asked. Daniel nodded. (Y/N) excused herself from the interrogation, and came back a minute later, the updated file in her hand.  
  


“Now, when we took you into custody, we managed to confiscate all of your recent research about Zero Matter. We burned away your previous research papers. We won’t hesitate to do so again, unless you start to talk,” Peggy said. "So, tell me what is the Arena Club’s major motive?“

Whitney Frost finally looked Peggy in the eye.  
  


"My motives are their motives,” she said. Peggy let out a humourless laugh.  
  


“Miss Frost, no one in the Arena Club or the Council of Nine is working under your leadership, as of now,” Peggy said. “Without the Zero Matter, they consider you nothing.”  
  


Whitney quickly looked away.  
  


“How dare you?” she whispered. “You don’t fool me. You’ll burn all my papers, either way.”  
  


“Look at her, catching on,” (Y/N) mumbled.  
  


—  
  


“Chief Thompson,” Whitney said, as soon as Jack entered the interrogation room, followed by (Y/N). “Oh, I remember you too.”  
  


(Y/N) rolled her eyes, before sitting down in the chair opposite her. Jack stood leaning against the door. (Y/N) placed a carrot and a stick on the table, knowing that even if it came to it, Jack wasn’t going to hit a woman. This one was up to her.  
  


“Miss Cully,” (Y/N) said, the name alone making Whitney Frost pale.  
  


“I have no idea who that is.”  
  


“You know…for a genius, you’re a pretty terrible liar, Agnes,” (Y/N) said. Whitney Frost tried to keep a straight face, but (Y/N) could see that she was slightly alarmed. (Y/N) remained silent for a while, looking at Whitney. She slowly shifted in her seat. She was getting uncomfortable. Good.  
  


“What?” Whitney asked, eventually. (Y/N) smirked.  
  


“The device you used on Michael Carter,” (Y/N) said. She placed the device on the table.  
  


“What about it?”  
  


“You made something more advanced. This is a prototype,” (Y/N) said. Whitney Frost smirked. “Now, I use this on you and you forget everything you need to complete your research.”  
  


“You know…I was thinking that when I break out of here, I will use this on you, Chief Thompson,” Whitney said, turning around to look at Jack. “I thought I would have to look for it, but you bought it right to me.”  
  


“So, I think it’s a good thing that you’re not escaping today.”  
  


“Oh, I am,” Whitney Frost said. “Uncuff me. I’ll show you.”  
  


“Nice try,” Jack said. (Y/N) thought for a while. Whitney Frost couldn’t fight her way through. Even if she was uncuffed. (Y/N) nodded at Jack. He looked at her with an 'Are you out of your mind?’ look, before uncuffing her. Whitney stretched her arm, before unbuttoning the top two buttons of her blouse. Jack looked away. (Y/N)’s eyes widened when she saw a small black device on her chest.  
  


_A tracker._


	35. Evacuation

“Handcuff her,” (Y/N) said, as she quickly stood up. Jack turned around.  
  


“What is it?” Jack asked.  
  


“Tracker,” (Y/N) said. She grabbed the mind-control device off the table and hurried out.  
  


“What should we do?” Daniel asked, as she ran into him.  
  


“They don’t know many of them,” (Y/N) said, motioning to the agents working in the bullpen. Daniel shook his head. “Great. We need to evacuate them.”  
  


“Are you sure we’ll have to evacuate?”  
  


“Yes. They have our location. We’re compromised.”  
  


“So evacuate everyone?”  
  


“Not Doctor Samberly or Rose. They’ll come after them.”  
  


“Alright. I’ll just tell them to,” Daniel said. (Y/N) nodded, making her way to the Science division.  
  


“Doctor Samberly,” she called out. “We need you in the interrogation room. The both of you, in the bullpen.”  
  


“What’s going on?” Samberly asked (Y/N), as the two passed the bullpen, into the interrogation room.  
  


“There’s a tracker on Whitney Frost. You have to get it out,” (Y/N) explained, as the two walked into the interrogation room. Jack was standing there, while Whitney Frost sat with a triumphant look. “I don’t care if you have to cut her open. Get the tracker off.”  
  


“I can do it. Easy-peasy.”  
  


“Good,” (Y/N) said, before walking out, followed by Jack.  
  


“What about Underwood and Carter’s brother?” Jack asked. (Y/N) stopped walking, and took an entire one-eighty, making her way towards the holding cell.  
  


“Oops. Busted,” Dottie Underwood, who’d just broken out of her cuffs, said. (Y/N) went to Dottie and pulled her out. “What’s wrong?”  
  


“Our location’s compromised,” (Y/N) said. “We need to get moving.”  
  


“I’m very tempted to leave you here, Underwood,” Jack said, as they made their way out.  
  


“I’ve called Mister Jarvis,” Peggy said, walking up to the three of them, Michael in her tow. “He’ll be here with a ride, shortly.”  
  


“Great. Peggy, could you keep an eye at Dottie? Jack and I will help Daniel,” (Y/N) said. Peggy nodded.  
  


“Agent (L/N)?” Doctor Samberly called out, poking his head out of the interrogation room. (Y/N) looked at him with a questioning look. He ran out and handed (Y/N) the tracker which was previously on Whitney Frost.  
  


“Have you disabled it?” (Y/N) asked. Samberly shook his head.  
  


“No, I just got it out of her.”  
  


“Well, what are you waiting for? Get to work.”  
  


“‘Great job, Aloysius,’” Samberly mumbled, patting himself on the back. (Y/N) rolled her eyes, as she watched Samberly walk away. She walked into the interrogation room. Whitney Frost was sitting on the chair, with an unreadable expression.  
  


“You know, getting that tracker off me was no use. They know where you are. It’s only a matter of time.”  
  


“Well, it did have one advantage,” (Y/N) said, uncuffing Whitney’s hand from the table, and to her own.  
  


“Where are you taking me?”  
  


“Did you really think we would leave you for Manfredi to find?” (Y/N) asked, dragging her out. “You’re coming with us. Don’t try anything.”  
  


“No. Leave me here,” Whitney Frost yelled. (Y/N) dragged her to where Doctor Samberly was working.  
  


“Doctor Samberly, you wouldn’t happen to have a sedative?”  
  


“You scared me,” Samberly said, handing her a syringe. “I’m asking for a raise. I don’t get paid enough for this.”  
  


Once Whitney Frost was sedated, (Y/N) dragged her out, and placed her under Michael’s watch. She walked out into the bullpen. It was mostly empty now, except for a few agents.  
  


“Jack,” she called out. “We’ll have to split.”  
  


“What?” he asked, with a questioning look.  
  


“There’s nine of us, excluding Mister Jarvis. We have two cars. So…Mister Jarvis, Peggy, Daniel, Rose and Michael, and You, Samberly, Whitney Frost, Dottie and I.”  
  


“I don’t want to be anywhere near that woman.”  
  


“Whitney Frost is just a genius. She’s nothing dangerous for now.”  
  


“I wasn’t talking about her.”  
  


“Dottie’s not so bad,” (Y/N) said, earning an eye-roll from Jack.  
  


“I’ll tell Carter and Sousa,” Jack said, turning away.  
  


“God, I hate Los Angeles,” (Y/N) muttered. Thankfully, Daniel and Jack had evacuated all the agents. (Y/N)’s eyes widened as she saw Rose walk into the bullpen, looking slightly breathless. (Y/N) rushed towards her. “Rose, what’s wrong?”  
  


“There are some people out there. Our-Our location’s compromised.”  
  


“Yeah. Whitney Frost had a tracker on her.”  
  


“Oh my god. What are-Is that why so many agents just evacuated?” Rose asked. (Y/N) nodded. “Well…I knocked out two of them, but there’s many more.”  
  


“Alright. Rose, just-” (Y/N) was cut off by the sound of a gunshot, which rattled the entryway. All the remaining people in the bullpen turned to look. Jack turned to (Y/N), hoping to convey a silent message. (Y/N) nodded, making her way to Samberly’s lab.  
  


“Take cover,” she heard Peggy yell, just as she turned a corner into Samberly’s lab.  
  


“Samberly, are you done with the tracker?” she asked.  
  


“No, it’s really complicated,” Samberly said, looking panicked at the gunshots, just outside the room.  
  


“Then toss it out and get moving.”  
  


“What? No. This is advanced tech. We need to look into it.”  
  


“Only if we’re alive to,” (Y/N) snapped. Samberly nodded, and tossed the tracker into the bin. (Y/N) took a deep breath, before bringing her gun out, as she crawled into the bullpen. She hid behind one of the desks, Dottie…WHO HAD A GUN…was covering behind the desk opposite (Y/N)’s. (Y/N) noticed Whitney Frost lying just infront of the door to the interrogation room, unconscious. “Dottie, they’re here for Whitney Frost. Make sure they don’t get to her.”  
  


“Yes, Chief (L/N),” Dottie said, smirking. (Y/N) covered for her, as she made her way towards Whitney Frost. Amidst the gunfire, Peggy’s desk phone rung. Dottie slowly waltzed back into the bullpen, to Peggy’s phone.  
  


“UNDERWOOD, ARE YOU MAD?"Jack yelled, as he covered for her. She received the call.  
  


"Agent Carter,” she said in an English accent. “Oh, hello, Jeeves…I’ll let them know.”  
  


“Dottie, get back to Whitney Frost,” (Y/N) yelled.  
  


“Jeeves is here,” Dottie said.  
  


'Jeeves?’ Jack mouthed to (Y/N).  
  


'Jarvis,’ she mouthed back.  
  


“Alright! We just shoot them down, and we get to the car,” Daniel said.  
  


“There’s too many of them,” Jack said.  
  


“Jack, cover for Doctor Samberly. Get him out. I’ll cover for Rose,” Peggy said. (Y/N) watched as Peggy and Jack knocked the people out, taking Rose and Samberly with them. (Y/N) and Dottie fought off the remaining guys. By weapons, then by fist.  
  


“Dottie,” (Y/N) called out. “We need to get Whitney Frost out of here. There’s a truck of them, outside. There’ll be more. We need to hurry.”  
  


“Yes, Chief,” Dottie smirked, dragging Whitney’s unconscious body out, into the bullpen, and out of the SSR. "What should I do with her?“  
  


"Put her in the trunk of the car,” (Y/N) said, as she gunned down the other guys who were approaching.  
  


“Which car?”  
  


“The Jarvis-less car,” (Y/N) said. She then caught sight of Hugh Jones, and she froze. She heard someone call out her name. It was an accented voice. Then, someone shot down the couple of men who were aiming at (Y/N). There was another yell of her name, the same voice.  
  


“(Y/N).” (Y/N) realized that it was Dottie’s voice. She shook her head, as she snapped out of it. And suddenly, she had no control over her body, as she marched towards him, the only thought in her head being, to kill him, as Dottie called out to her, again. “(Y/N), stop. There’s too many men there.”  
  


(Y/N) heard the opening and closing of the door of a car and footsteps, before her arm was grabbed. She didn’t turn around to see who it was, only struggled against the grip.  
  


“(Y/N), stop. You can kill him later,” she heard Jack whisper into her ear, as he pulled her back. (Y/N) struggled in his grip, as he placed a hand on her shoulder. “(N/N), you can’t kill him right now. You won’t be able to.”  
  


“Let me go, Jack,” she grunted. Dottie rolled her eyes, as she flipped her gun out, shooting at the men.  
  


“Take her into cover, while she has her mental breakdown. I’ll try not to let them kill you.”  
  


“(Y/N), calm down, and think. You can’t do this, right now. Please.”  
  


“I have to kill him,” (Y/N) said, as a tear rolled down her cheek.  
  


“No, (Y/N). Don’t look at him. Just look at me,” Jack said, noticing Samberly creeping up behind him, with a syringe in hand. Sedative. He looked down at (Y/N), and kissed her. Meanwhile, Samberly creeped up behind her and injected the sedative. She slowly stopped moving, and fell limp in Jack’s arms. Jack lifted her, carrying her into the car and placing her down in the passenger’s seat. He sat in the driver’s seat, and Dottie rushed into the car, before a fresh wave of armed men came. When all four of them were settled, Jack quickly drove them out of the scene.  
  


—  
  


Jack looked over as (Y/N) stirred in the passenger’s seat.  
  


“Hey,” he whispered.  
  


“What happened?” she asked.  
  


“Samberly sedated you,” he replied.  
  


“Why? What happened before that?”  
  


“You froze,” he replied, as he placed a hand on her thigh. “It’s alright. Happens to the best of us.”  
  


“And then you snapped out of it, and you were very intense,” Samberly spoke from the back seat, making (Y/N) jump.  
  


“And then I had to cover for you,” Dottie said.  
  


“Where are you driving?” (Y/N) asked.  
  


“Stark’s place,” Jack said.  
  


“Did we stop by anywhere?” (Y/N) asked. Jack shook his head. (Y/N) pulled the hand brake, making the car come to a sudden halt.  
  


“What the hell, (Y/N)?”  
  


“Told you,” Dottie said, smirking at Jack.  
  


“Doctor Samberly, do you have your equipment?” (Y/N) asked.  
  


“Yeah.”  
  


“Good. Now get Whitney Frost out of the trunk, and make sure she doesn’t have another tracker on her.”  
  


“What? How?” Jack asked, confused, pointing between Dottie and (Y/N).  
  


“What?” (Y/N) asked.  
  


“She said the exact same thing.”  
  


“And you didn’t listen to her, did you?” (Y/N) asked. Jack rolled his eyes.  
  


“Spies think alike, blondie.”  
  


—  
  


“What took you so long?” Peggy asked, when (Y/N) and Jack got out of the car.   
  


“We got worried about you guys,” Daniel said.  
  


“Hugh Jones was there,” Jack said, as he opened the trunk of the car, pulling a partly-conscious Whitney Frost out. Daniel nodded, understandingly. (Y/N) looked over at Ana, looking through the window. Ana smiled. “What do we do about Underwood?”  
  


“If she wanted to escape, she would have, by now,” Peggy said. Jack looked at her with a pointed look, and she just smiled back at him.  
  


“Why was Hugh Jones there?” Daniel asked, as the four of them started walking into the house. “Not to fight, certainly.”  
  


“He’s an old man, Daniel. He can’t fight,” (Y/N) said.  
  


“I think I know why,” Dottie said, sneaking up from behind them.  
  


“Go on. We’ll welcome theories,” (Y/N) said.  
  


“This isn’t a theory. I’m sure,” Dottie said.  
  


“Go on.”  
  


“You guys discovered their hideout, so they want a new hideout.”  
  


“The SSR is their new hideout?” Jack asked.  
  


“The SSR isn’t the SSR, anymore,” Peggy said. “The L.A. office is compromised.”  
  


“So, we have nowhere.”  
  


“…shit.”


	36. An Ambush

“(Y/N), can I ask you something?” Jack asked that night, as they both lay in bed.  
  


“You just did.”  
  


“(Y/N), I’m serious.”  
  


“Alright. Go on.”  
  


“If I asked you to go back to New York while we sort this mess out, what would you do?”  
  


“I would punch your big, fat head,” (Y/N) said. Jack hummed.  
  


“Then, good thing I didn’t ask,” he said, with a slight smile. (Y/N) smiled.  
  


“What made you consider it?” she asked. Jack sighed.  
  


“I’m worried about you. That’s all.”  
  


“Jack, I get it,” (Y/N) said. “After what happened today…”  
  


“(Y/N), it happens to the best of us,” Jack said. “It’s not about today. I’m just worried about you, darling. You’re an entirely reckless person, and well…”  
  


“Jack…”  
  


“I think I don’t say it enough, (Y/N), but I love you. More than I ever thought it was possible to love another person. You’re just…I can’t imagine myself without you,” Jack said. (Y/N) looked at him, with her jaw slightly hung open, her expression softening.  
  


“I love you too, Jack,” she said. And in a quick moment, she was on top of him, kissing him like her life depended on it. She broke away, once in a while, for air.  
And at that moment, she felt a sudden need. She couldn’t pinpoint what it was, for a while, but soon, she realized. It was need for him. And almost at the same time, he seemed to have realized it too. She slipped her hand under his shirt, her other hand tugging at his collar. He moved to kiss her neck. She moaned when he hit her pulse point, before pulling him back into a kiss.  
  


“God, you’re perfect,” Jack managed to say, before he was pulled back into a kiss.  
  


But, of course, they were interrupted.  
  


“Chief, Peggy was as-” Rose quickly said, as she opened the door, but shut up, when she noticed what was happening. (Y/N) and Jack quickly let go of each other, and scrambled onto opposite sides of the bed, as Rose looked between the two, awkwardly. “Oh…Okay. I’ll just tell Peggy you’re busy.”  
  


“No, Rose, we’re fine,” (Y/N) said, finally composing herself. “We’ll be outside in a minute.”  
  


“Yeah. Sure,” Rose said, quickly walking back out.  
  


“You didn’t lock the door?” (Y/N) and Jack asked each other, simultaneously, when Rose had gone. They both burst into laughter.  
  


“Let’s move. If Rose tells Peggy that she saw us…you know…”  
  


“Practically fornicating?”  
  


“Yeah. Peg wouldn’t let us live it down. Ever,” (Y/N) said. She fastened her robe over her nightgown, leaned over and kissed him, before walking out. Jack followed, like a dazed puppy.  
  


“Here they are. Our lovebirds,” Dottie said, when (Y/N) and Jack entered the dining room. (Y/N) rolled her eyes.  
  


“What is it, Peg?” (Y/N) asked.  
  


“We need a plan,” Peggy said.  
  


“And that couldn’t have waited till tomorrow?”  
  


“Why, Chief Thompson? Were you busy?” Peggy teased. Jack rolled his eyes.  
  


“So what’s the plan?”  
  


“I think that will depend on what answers we get out of Whitney Frost,” Peggy said. “(Y/N), I think you should interrogate her. You can break through.”  
  


“Oooh, can I?” Dottie suddenly asked. Everyone turned around to look at her.  
  


“Absolutely not,” Peggy said. Dottie pouted. “We find out the Arena Club’s motive. And we stop them.”  
  


“So this could have happened tomorrow, as well,” Jack said. “It’s not like we’ll prepare for the interrogation, overnight.”  
  


“Actually…I think we should interrogate her now.”  
  


“Now? As in, this very moment?” Daniel asked. “What’s the rush?”  
  


“Every moment we stay here, we endanger Mister Jarvis and Ana. Last time I stayed here for a while, Ana got shot. That’s not happening again,” Peggy said.  
  


—  
  


“No one’s coming to save you, now,” (Y/N) said, standing infront of Whitney Frost, who was strapped onto a chair. “So it is in your best interest, that you start to talk,”  
  


“What do you want?” Whitney asked, looking up at (Y/N) with a hateful glare.  
  


“What does the Council of Nine want? What is their main motive?”  
  


“Oh, they don’t have a motive,” Whitney said with a humourless laugh. “They want to kill you, Carter, and anyone who sticks in their business.”  
  


“And what is their business?” (Y/N) asked.  
  


“Chaos,” Whitney said, with a wild look in her eyes, and a wide smirk on her face. “Total, complete, utter chaos.”  
  


“That’s a little long term,” (Y/N) muttered.  
  


“They’ll be helping me get Zero Matter, and you’ll be worthless little insects.”  
  


“Why would they help you get zero matter?” Jack asked.  
  


“Because, then, we’ll be unstoppable. I will be able to crush you like flies.”  
  


“No, I mean, why would they help _you_ get Zero Matter?” Jack asked. Whitney’s expression changed into a confused one. Jack chuckled. “Genius, my ass. They’ll use you to get the Zero Matter, and keep it to themselves. You seriously think they’ll let you have it?”  
  


“No, no. They wouldn’t. They wouldn’t dare,” Whitney mumbled, but it looked like she was trying to convince herself. Her expression slipped, before she composed herself. “They can’t control it. They can’t deal with it. They don’t have the capability to.”  
  


“They’ll figure that out, too,” (Y/N) said, smirking.  
  


“No. Shut up,” Whitney said, hysterically. “SHUT UP! GO AWAY!”  
  


“That’s why we’re asking you to tell us what they are planning,” (Y/N) said, leaning down, to come face-to-face with Whitney Frost, which was a bad idea, because Whitney grabbed the edge of her robe. (Y/N) quickly pulled herself away, as Whitney thrashed in her chair. (Y/N) looked up at Jack and he shrugged. (Y/N) sighed, before walking out, Jack following her.  
  


“Did you get anything?” Peggy asked, when she saw Jack and (Y/N) walk out.  
  


“Only that they are committing crimes, just for the sake of committing crimes, and Whitney Frost isn’t as mentally stable as we thought she’d become,” (Y/N) said.  
  


“So…”  
  


“They want to kill us,” (Y/N) said.  
  


“Us…as in?” Michael asked.  
  


“Jack, Daniel, Peggy, me, Rose, Doctor Samberly, and you and Dottie,” (Y/N) said, making Dottie pout.  
  


“Why me?”  
  


“So we have to retake the SSR,” Peggy said, like it was obvious. (Y/N) and Jack looked up at her.

“If it were that easy, we would have done it, already,” Daniel said.  
  


“Doctor Samberly, you need to get on this,” (Y/N) said, handing him the mind-control device. “I don’t want it in working condition, whatever you do.”  
  


“I can do that,” Samberly muttered, walking away.  
  


“I think we should draw them out, somehow,” Rose said.  
  


“Oooh…I had an idea,” Dottie said. Everyone turned to look at her. “You said that when Whitney Frost had Zero Matter, she could sense the opening of the rift.”  
  


“What’s your point, Underwood?” Jack asked. (Y/N)’s eyes widened, as she realized what Dottie was getting at.  
  


“That could work,” (Y/N) said.  
  


“Right?” Dottie said, with a slight chuckle.  
  


“What? What could work?”  
  


“We open the rift again.”  
  


“NO!” a chorus of voices shouted.  
  


“That’s a terrible, terrible idea,” Jack said.  
  


“It could work,” Peggy said. “If we manage to get a harmless amount of Zero Matter in her and set her free, she would feel the rift opening.”  
  


“But there’s too many what-ifs,” Jack said, looking at them with a disbelieving look. “What if the Zero Matter we put in her isn’t enough to have her feel the rift opening? What is she comes with dozens of Manfredi’s men, and we can’t drive them away? What if she gets all the Zero Matter she ever wanted? What if she doesn’t fall for the plan, at all?”  
  


“Do you have a better plan?” (Y/N) asked. Jack sighed, looking up at her with a desperate look.  
  


“We should go through with it.”  
  


—  
  


“This…wasn’t a hurdle I was expecting in the plan,” (Y/N) said, as she noticed the empty chair, where Whitney Frost was supposed to be.  
  


“How…Oh god, this is bad!” Peggy exclaimed. (Y/N) and Peggy looked at each other, before walking out. Jack, Daniel, Rose and Samberly were sitting around the breakfast table. They all turned around when (Y/N) and Peggy approached. 

“It’s Whitney Frost…”  
  


“She escaped,” (Y/N) said, making all of them go pale.  
  


“…How?”  
  


“Hell, if we knew,” (Y/N) said, sitting down beside Jack.  
  


“That’s terrible,” Jack said. “But now we can’t go through with the ‘another rift’ plan, and that’s great.”  
  


“We need to figure out how she escaped,” Peggy said.  
  


“And we need a new plan,” Daniel reminded.  
  


“I’ll go get Dottie and Michael,” (Y/N) said. As she was walking out, Howard walked in. (Y/N) stopped and turned around. His hair were messy, and his pants were unbuttoned, and he looked miserable.  
  


“I guess I had too much to drink,” Howard said, unaware of everyone’s gaze on him. “And that’s saying something, 'cause I’m immune to alcohol.”  
  


“Oh yeah?” Jack rolled his eyes.  
  


“Mister Stark,” (Y/N) said carefully. “You wouldn’t have happened to have a certain blonde in bed with you, last night?”  
  


“Oh, yeah. Whitney Frost. She’s reformed, now.”  
  


“Damn you, Howard.”  
  


—  
  


“So that’s your plan?” (Y/N) asked, resting her chin in her hand. “An ambush is your plan, Daniel?”  
  


“That’s not a bad plan,” Jack said. (Y/N) looked at him with a surprised look.  
  


“An ambush? Do you guys hear yourselves?” (Y/N) asked.  
  


“There’s eight of us, with a civilian,” Peggy said. “They are dozens of men.”  
  


“Uh-Agent Carter, I-I really appreciate the fact that you don’t count me as a civilian,” Samberly said. “But I think you really should.”  
  


“She did count you as a civilian. You are the only civilian,” (Y/N) muttered, as everyone looked at Samberly.  
  


“Speaking was the wrong choice,” Samberly muttered to himself.  
  


“Jack, this plan is absolutely ridiculous and we’re not going through with it,” (Y/N) said, with a tone of finality.  
  


“I actually like this plan,” Dottie said. “It’ll get us all killed.”

“Dottie, now’s not the time,” (Y/N) said. “Jack, so many things could go terribly wrong.”  
  


“I knew Manfredi,” Michael said, making everyone look up at him. “He’s a man of his pride and ego.”  
  


“Your point is?”  
  


“If we challenge him, call him out,” Michael said. “If it’s properly phrased, he’ll come. And he’ll fight us, without his goons.”  
  


“That’s a valid plan,” (Y/N) said. There were murmurs of agreement.  
  


“That’s it, then.”  
  


—  
  


“So…we have it in place,” Peggy said.  
  


“A perfectly phrased and elegantly written challenge, courtesy of our resident silver tongue,” (Y/N) said, smirking at Jack, who smirked back.  
  


“Well…it’ll hit him in all the right spots,” Jack said. “He’ll be there.”  
  


“Dottie will get it to him,” Peggy said. Dottie nodded. “We just need to be ready for him and the few people he brings.”  
  


“What do we have to do with Joseph Manfredi and Whitney Frost?” Rose asked.  
  


“Capture, not kill,” Peggy said.  
  


“No..I…We kill them both,” Daniel said. “We’ve tried 'Capture not Kill’ with them, before. Didn’t work out well.”  
  


“Dottie, you’ll meet us back at the rendezvous,” (Y/N) said. “We’ll be there. Doctor Samberly, you are to stay put.”  
  


“Why did you pick that place, exactly?” Michael asked. (Y/N) sighed.  
  


“Michael, I know that brings out bad memories for you.”  
  


“(Y/N), that’s where I held you. I kidnapped you, held you, and threatened to kill you.”  
  


“Michael, it’s alright. Trust me.”  
  


“Not to me. It isn’t,” Jack mumbled, earning a glare from (Y/N).  
  


—  
  


“Agent (L/N). Agent Carter,” Joseph Manfredi greeted (Y/N) and Peggy, as he walked into the, now abandoned, building, alongside Whitney Frost. “Pleased seeing you.”  
  


“Can’t say the same about you, Mister Manfredi.”  
  


“Agents, let’s not talk too much. You called me out, and I know it wasn’t just to make a deal. No, you’re both better than that.”  
  


“Well, Mister Manfredi,” (Y/N) said, with a slight chuckle. She noticed Dottie and Jack creeping up behind the two. “That might be right.”  
  


“I’m afraid, I got my own backup, too,” Manfredi said, and with a flick of his wrist, about two dozen mafia men, barged in. Daniel, Michael and Rose quickly got out of their hiding spots, too.  
  


“We were counting on it,” (Y/N) said, smiling slightly.  
  


“We like a fair fight,” Peggy said.  
  


(Y/N) grunted as two of the men pursued her. She kicked one in the crotch, and shot the other down. Another man ran towards her, and grabbed onto her arm, twisting it. She pulled her arm in, aiming the gun at the man’s temple, and pulling the trigger. She turned around and saw Peggy trying to fight off four guys at once.  
  


(Y/N) sighed, before making her way towards him, as she drew one of the men’s attention to herself. He quickly grabbed her into a chokehold. (Y/N) positioned her gun against his abdomen, and pulled the trigger. She cursed when she realized she was out of bullets. She pushed her weight back into the man, causing him to stumble, and in that second, she knocked him out with the base of her gun.  
  


(Y/N), then, heard a scream, and quickly turned around in horror.  
  


Jack’s scream. 

She couldn’t see him anywhere. One of the men jumped at (Y/N) from behind, taking advantage of her distraction. She quickly ducked, causing the man to flip. She aimed for his right side, but he quickly dodged. She kicked him in the crotch. He doubled over in pain, and (Y/N) kneed him, in the stomach, causing him to fall to the ground, his face scrunched up in pain. (Y/N) turned to look for Jack, but her eyes widened, as soon as she turned around, and she felt her heart stop for a minute.  
  


**_Jack Thompson aiming his gun, right at her._ **


	37. Mind Control

“Jack,” (Y/N) said, carefully. “What are you doing?”  
  


“I’m doing just what I need to,” he said, but it wasn’t him. There was something very foreign about him. And the way he looked at her…it wasn’t emotionless…it was hate. In the entire time she’d known him, he’d never looked at her like this. Not even at their worst. (Y/N) realized what was happening. She quickly put her hands up, and dropped her gun down, even though it was no use, either way.  
  


“Jack, you don’t want to do this,” she said, carefully approaching him. He jerked his gun, to emphasize that he would shoot if she moved. She stepped back. "Jack, this isn’t you.“

"Oh, this is me,” Jack said, with a menacing smile. “And what I’m supposed to do, right now, is kill you.”  
  


“No. Jack, please stop. I can’t fight you,” (Y/N) said. “You don’t wanna do this. You love me. And I love you, too, Jack.”  
  


“I don’t know you,” Jack said. (Y/N) shut her eyes, waiting for a gunshot, and a bullet going through her sternum, but before any of that could happen, Whitney Frost’s voice called out to Jack.  
  


“Leave her. I think she got the message.” And, almost like a puppet, Jack turned around and walked towards Whitney Frost, and all (Y/N) could do was watch as he walked up to her…and leaned down to kiss her. Whitney smirked at (Y/N) from over his shoulder, as (Y/N) stared at the two. What a bitch.  
  


“(Y/N),” an accented voice called out. “(Y/N), Peggy’s done it. Peggy was a badass and she killed Manfredi. But, we need to go.”  
  


Those words made (Y/N) look up at the owner of the voice. Dottie.  
  


“Dottie, we can’t leave,” she said.  
  


“What’s going on?” Peggy asked, running up to the two. (Y/N) pointed at Jack and Whitney. Peggy gasped.  
  


“What’s wrong with him?” Daniel asked.  
  


“The-The mind control device,” (Y/N) said.  
  


“(Y/N), we need to leave,” Peggy said.  
  


“No. We can’t leave him here,” (Y/N) said, rushing towards Jack. Daniel and Dottie held onto both her arms, stopping her.  
  


“(Y/N), we can’t,” Peggy said, explaining. “He will fight us, and we won’t be able to fight back.”  
  


“I can’t leave him, Peggy,” (Y/N) said, as a few tears streamed down her face. "She can do anything to him. He needs me…to help him.“

”(Y/N)…she’s right,“ Dottie tried.  
  


"You don’t know what it’s like, Dottie,” (Y/N) sobbed. “You’ve never loved anyone.”  
  


“(Y/N), I’m sorry,” Peggy said, and before she could comprehend what happened, she felt a sharp pain in her head, and blacked out.  
  


—  
  


(Y/N) woke up with a gasp. And for a moment, everything was alright. Then, it all came crashing back on her. Jack, Whitney Frost, Joseph Manfredi. Peggy.  
  


“I see you’re awake,” Jarvis, who was sitting at her bedside, said. “I’ll go tell Miss Carter.”  
  


Before (Y/N) could protest, Jarvis was out of the room, undoubtedly fetching Peggy.  
  


(Y/N) looked away, the moment Peggy walked into the room and Peggy sighed.  
  


“(Y/N), I understand if you’re angry…but-”  
  


“But what, Peggy? It was the only way? Knocking me out was the only way? Don’t think about saying that. You had me leave him there, with Whitney Frost. God knows what she’s doing to him, right now. He’s not safe.”  
  


“You think I don’t care? (Y/N), you could have died. And I care about you, as much as I care about him.”  
  


“Peggy, just…I can’t look at you, right now,” (Y/N) said, as a tear rolled down her cheek. “I can’t look at you, right now. Just leave.”  
  


“I’ll send Dottie. She wants to talk,” Peggy said, standing up, and leaving. A few minutes after Peggy was gone, Dottie entered the room.  
  


“Dottie, I’m sorry for what I said earlier,” (Y/N) said, as soon as she came in.  
  


“You weren’t wrong, (Y/N),” Dottie said. “I don’t know how it feels. I’ve never loved anyone.”  
  


“Dottie, I didn’t mean it like that,” (Y/N) said.  
  


“Peggy and her boyfriend are working towards getting him back,” Dottie said. “Why isn’t anyone the tiniest bit happy? We killed a mafia leader. It was so fun.”

"We just painted a target on the back of our heads,” (Y/N) said.  
  


“Same old.”  
  


—  
 ** _One Week Later_**

“Are we sure about this lead?” (Y/N) asked.

“Yeah,” Daniel nodded. “I mean…I know this is the third lead I’m giving you, but I’m sure.”  
  


“I’m a little wary about this,” Peggy said, and (Y/N) snorted. The tension between (Y/N) and Peggy was still thick. “What are the chances that Hugh Jones just randomly decides to step out of the SSR, for a while?”  
  


“We just killed Joseph Manfredi. Now, Hugh Jones has a lot of other stuff to do,” (Y/N) said, roughly, glaring at Peggy, who sighed.  
  


“I’m just worried it’ll be a trap,” Peggy said.  
  


“Then you can stay back,” (Y/N) said.  
  


“Jack’s my friend, too, believe it or not,” Peggy said.  
  


“Well, then, you seem to have an awful disregard towards yours friends,” (Y/N) shot.  
  


“Let’s just get going,” Michael said, uncomfortably.  
  


—  
  


“I see a dozen untrained mafia amateurs,” Dottie said. “And I can hear Whitney Frost and your blondie.”  
  


“Dottie,” (Y/N) called out. “How many of them can you take out?”  
  


“There’s amateurs, (Y/N),” Dottie said, with a slight laugh. “As many as I want.”  
  


“Great. Daniel, Dottie, Carter, you take on them,” (Y/N) said. “Rose, Michael, I think you can sit this one out.”  
  


“What about you?” Samberly asked.  
  


“I’ll get Whitney Frost.”  
  


(Y/N) waited for Peggy, Daniel and Dottie to go in. When she heard gunshots, she quickly got out of her hiding place, into the bullpen of the SSR office she knew too well. She dodged bullets here and there, even shooting down a few men. As she neared the science division, she could hear the voices of Whitney Frost and Jack. She could feel herself getting angry. Just as she was about to go in, Daniel came up behind her.  
  


“(Y/N), if he tries fighting you, you can’t fight back,” he said.  
  


“I know, Daniel,” (Y/N) said. Daniel sighed, following her. Whitney’s eyes widened when she saw (Y/N). Jack quickly turned around. Before he could do anything, Daniel picked up a sedative from Samberly’s table, and injected it into Jack, who gradually fell to the ground, unconscious.  
Whitney looked at (Y/N), with a raised brow, and a triumphant smirk. (Y/N) kneed Whitney Frost in the stomach, causing her to double over. (Y/N) grabbed a fistful of her hair, pulling her head back, to look her in the eye. She was still smirking lightly. (Y/N) pulled her gun out, and positioned it right at Whitney Frost’s side. She pulled the trigger. There was a deafening gunshot and Whitney Frost gasped. (Y/N) pulled the trigger again, twice. Then she moved her gun to aim it right at Whitney Frost’s forehead, and shot.  
  


As (Y/N) looked at the crippling body of Whitney Frost, Daniel came up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. He had never seen (Y/N) in such a…dark demeanour. He doubted anyone had, except, maybe, Jack.  
  


A few minutes later, or maybe it was hours, there was a rush of footsteps. (Y/N) and Daniel turned around. Peggy, Dottie, Michael, Rose and Samberly.  
  


“We all good?” Daniel asked. Peggy nodded. (Y/N) quickly kneeled down, as she tried to lift Jack off the ground. Michael and Samberly helped her, and lay Jack on the table, as Samberly got to work. He examined Jack for a few minutes, before turning to (Y/N) and the others.  
  


“Well…the good new is…that your deduction was correct, Agent (L/N),” Samberly said. “He does have the same device Mister Carter had.”  
  


“So…we just need to get it off him. He’ll be back to himself, right?” (Y/N) asked.  
  


“It’s not that simple,” Samberly said.

“Well, then it better get simple real damn fast,” (Y/N) said, threateningly

“Remember when I said that it was a prototype?” Samberly asked. Everyone nodded. “Well, this is the real thing.”  
  


“…And?”  
  


“I’m not sure whether removing it from Chief Thompson will have the same effect it did when I removed it from Mister Carter,” Samberly said. Everyone looked at him, confused, but (Y/N) felt her blood run cold.  
  


“Doctor Samberly, are you saying it’s permanent?” she asked, her eyes wide.  
  


“Sorta.”


	38. Jackass

(Y/N) could faintly hear familiar voices, that seemed foreign, talking around her. Mumbling, wondering, and god knows what. She couldn’t care less. She steadied herself in a chair, as she placed her hand on Jack’s.  
  


“What do you mean ‘sorta?’” one of the voices asked.  
  


“It means that the control is past just the device,” another voice said.  
  


“What’s that supposed to mean?”  
  


“When we get the device off him, it’s up to him, and everyone around him, to figure out and sort his memories.”  
  


“So there’s no surety? No guarantee?”  
  


(Y/N) sighed, a tear rolling down her cheek, as she turned around. Everyone paused to look at her.  
  


“You’re saying…he’ll never be back to his old self? That’s what you’re saying.”  
  


“Not never,” Samberly said. “If you can help him remember, that might work. But removing the device won’t be all.”  
  


“Then I’ll make him remember,” (Y/N) said, determined. “You get to removing that device.”  
  


—  
  


“I really don’t understand why he’s cuffed to the table,” (Y/N) said, as she looked into the interrogation room, from behind the mirror, where an unconscious Jack was cuffed to the table.  
  


“(Y/N), he’s not the same person,” Daniel reminded. “He will kill you if he can.”  
  


“I don’t want anyone behind the glass, when I’m talking to him,” (Y/N) said. Daniel nodded, understandingly, walking out.  
  


“Good luck,” Daniel mumbled, shutting the door behind him. (Y/N) waited for a while. A few minutes later, Jack moved a little, before slowly raising his head and looking around. (Y/N) could see his expression, slightly panicking.  
  


“Where am I?” she heard him ask, looking towards the one-way mirror. (Y/N) sighed, before walking out, and into the interrogation room. Jack looked up, the moment she walked in. She sat down, opposite to him. He just glared at her. (Y/N) took a deep breath. For a few minutes, they sat in uncomfortable silence.  
  


“Jack…”  
  


“Stop,” he said. “I know what you’re about to say. You love me. I love you. Just…don’t.”  
  


“Jack, it’s the truth.”  
  


“Whitney told me that you love me, and at one point, I loved you too. But, honestly, it all sounds a little ridiculous to me,” Jack said. “I mean…Whitney was Whitney. And you…you are nothing. Whitney was so much prettier than you can ever imagine to be. She was a movie star. Everyone knew her. And you? No one looks twice into your direction. Whitney said that you pride your brains. But, think about it. Whitney was a genius. You couldn’t compare to that, either. And I’m sure that’s why you killed her. You were jealous. You knew you couldn’t compare to her. You are just a sorry excuse for a woman.”  
  


“Jack…” (Y/N) began, but abruptly stood up, and walked out of the interrogation room. Once outside, she leaned against the wall, involuntary tears streaming down her face. She tried to stop them, she really did. This wasn’t Jack. She shouldn’t be feeling bad. But, she did. Instead, she slid down, her back against the wall, as she wrapped her arms around herself. She was barely aware of the fact that her silent tears were now loud sobs.  
  


“(Y/N),” Michael’s voice called out. She heard him gasp, seeing her on the ground, leaning against the wall. He kneeled down. “What’s wrong?”  
  


“Jack,” she managed to croak out. “He-I just…I know it isn’t him, but…hearing him say it…”  
  


“(Y/N)…”  
  


“Just leave me, please. I want to be alone right now.”  
  


—  
  


“We are not putting him in a cell,” (Y/N) said. “He’s not some criminal.”  
  


“(Y/N), we can’t leave him in the interrogation room, day and night,” Peggy explained. (Y/N) glared at her.  
  


“We can and we will,” (Y/N) said. “If you put him in a cell, you put me in the same one.”  
  


“(Y/N),” Peggy sighed. “It makes no sense. If you won’t try to reach through to him, you have no reason to be talking to him. You’ll only hurt your own feelings.”  
  


“Who said anything about not trying again?” (Y/N) asked. “Of course, I’ll try again. I just…I’m just a little shaken up.”  
  


“Well, then, (Y/N), you sh-” Peggy’s statement was cut off by Dottie entering the room.  
  


“Hi,” she said in a sing-song voice. “Oh, are you discussing your boyfriend, again?”  
  


“(Y/N),” Peggy said, again. “You know that he will-”  
  


“Maybe you should try kissing him,” Dottie suggested. “That’ll make him remember. You know how boys are.”  
  


“I am not going to kiss him,” (Y/N) said, as Daniel looked awkwardly between the three women.  
  


“Why not?” Dottie whined.  
  


“Because he’s not the same person. He’s not _my_ Jack Thompson, and I kinda feel like I would be betraying the real Jack, if I kissed this Jack. Do I make sense?”  
  


“Yes, you do,” Peggy said.  
  


“Absolutely not,” Dottie said, at the same time.  
  


“(Y/N), just…go talk to him,” Daniel said. “I know you’ll try your best.”  
  


“Yeah…I-I’ll go,” (Y/N) said. She sighed, before walking out, and into the interrogation room, without having a look, from behind the one-way mirror.  
  


“Ah-it’s you, again,” Jack said, looking up at her.  
  


“Hi,” she said awkwardly.  
  


“'Hi,' really?” Jack asked, with a disbelieving laugh. “What’s wrong with you?”  
  


“It’s okay. I forgive you,” (Y/N) said, sitting down. He looked at her with a raised brow.  
  


“You still hold onto the thought of some other person in me. You think I’m someone that I am not. You are pathetic,” Jack said.  
  


“I know you’re in there, Jack,” (Y/N) said. “And trust me, I will get you out.”  
  


“You disgust me, woman.”


	39. Time Capsule

“You know…I’ll escape,” Jack said, looking at (Y/N) with a smirk.  
  


“Good luck with that,” (Y/N) said, looking at him with a blank expression.  
  


“…Even if I was who you think I was,” Jack said. “I wouldn’t want to go back.”  
  


“Oh?”  
  


“Because the Jack Thompson you are describing…he just seems…weak,” Jack said. “How bad was he, exactly?”  
  


“He is the best man I have ever known,” (Y/N) spat. “Far better than you.”  
  


“You only see what you want to see,” Jack said. (Y/N) was about to reply, when the door opened, and Daniel poked his head in.  
  


“(Y/N),” he said, completely avoiding Jack’s gaze. “A word?”  
  


“Yeah. Sure,” (Y/N) said, standing up, and walking out.  
  


“(Y/N)…” Daniel began.  
  


“Yeah?”  
  


“You’re getting nowhere,” he said, pinching the bridge of his nose.  
  


“I’m sorry?”  
  


“Your talks with Jack,” Daniel said, making (Y/N) look at him, pointedly. “Your approach isn’t right.”  
  


“I thought I asked you, explicitly that I didn’t want anyone behind the glass when I talked to him,” (Y/N) said, earning a sheepish look from Daniel.  
  


“Look…you’ve known Jack longer than any of us have known each other,” Daniel said. “Why aren’t you using that to your advantage? Remind him of old memories. Before the war. You were best friends, you have to have had memories together.”  
  


“…I just had an idea,” (Y/N) said. “But I’ll need to go to D.C.”  
  


“What’s in D.C.?” Daniel asked.  
  


“Jack and I buried a time capsule,” (Y/N) said, shyly.  
  


“A time capsule?” Daniel asked, confused.  
  


“Yeah…they are…recollections. Tokens that you store and hide or bury, to look back at them in the future, as memories,” (Y/N) said. Daniel looked at her, amused, and she glared at him. “We were kids, okay?”  
  


“So where is it?”  
  


“Well…Jack and I…buried it in this park. It was the only park in the locality.”  
  


“If you just have to dig it out, why can’t someone else go?” Daniel asked. “You should stay here with Jack.”  
  


“No…No,” (Y/N) said, quickly. “Only one of us gets to dig it out. Nope. No.”  
  


“But if y-”  
  


“I’m not up for arguments, Sousa.”  
  


—  
  


**_*Two Days Later*_ **   
  


(Y/N) sighed, as she stood outside the interrogation, with the time capsule in hand. If this didn’t work, (Y/N) had no idea what would.  
  


“And…you’re here to annoy me again,” Jack said, when she walked in. She sat down, and placed the capsule on the table. Jack looked at her with a raised brow. “What’s this?”  
  


(Y/N) opened it, and he looked inside.  
  


The contents of the capsule were _a ring_ , that had belonged to (Y/N)’s mother, which she hadn’t worn since her father’s death. _Jack’s first piece of drawing_ , which was a messy hut, on top of a mountain, where three stick figures stood, holding hands…Jack, (Y/N) and Gam-Gam. _An Oh Henry chocolate bar wrapper_ , which (Y/N) had put in intentionally, knowing Jack didn’t like them. _A handprint drawing_. _A collection of dry leaves_ , which Jack loved collecting when he was about nine. _A collection of photographs_ , with (Y/N) and Jack as kids. And finally, _two letters_ , addressed by Jack to a future (Y/N), and (Y/N) to a future Jack.  
  


“Do you remember any of this?” (Y/N) asked with a hopeful smile.  
  


_(Y/N) laughed as Jack fumbled with the small collection of dry leaves.  
  
_

_“I can’t believe dry leaves fascinate you.”  
  
_

_“It’s not the dry leaves that fascinate me,” Jack countered. “It’s the impressions they leave on the paper.”  
  
_

_“Which, again, is not very fascinating,” (Y/N) said, making Jack roll his eyes. After everything was in the box, (Y/N) and Jack sat down to write the decided letter. (Y/N) fetched the fountain pens her mother had bought for ‘no useless stuff,’ because 'you have to sell a hand and a foot to buy one.’ Mother’s words, not her own.  
  
_

_“Are you sure you wanna use the expensive ones?” Jack asked.  
  
_

_“Absolutely,” (Y/N) said, with a cheeky grin. She sat down on the bed, handing one of the pens to Jack, as she used the other one.  
  
_

_“This is so exciting,” Jack said. (Y/N) smiled, as she started writing.  
  
_

_**Dear Jack from the future,  
** _

_**Hi! How are you? If you’re reading this, I am supposing that you are a lot older than the dumb idiot, sitting beside me. If you’ve forgotten what this letter is…we’re building a time capsule. When we grow up, we will read these letters and look through this capsule, and it will remind us of the old days. It feels weird, calling them the old days…but I suppose that’s how we will view them, when we grow up. That’s how your mom says it. Anyways, I should probably stop talking about that and get to talking about what I really, really want you to know, in the future.  
  
** _

_**When we read these letters, I hope we read them together. I hope we’re sitting together, side-by-side, when we are reading this. Mary Watson always says that friendship isn’t meant to last forever. I don’t believe her. Do you? I hope not. I want to stay friends forever. If you do too. When you read this, just know that whether or not we are still friends, and whether or not we have new friends, you will always be my best friend. You have always been, and will always be the strongest person I know. I’m sure.  
  
** _

_**I don’t think you know how much I appreciate our friendship. You helping me out, after Dad didn’t return from the war, meant more to me than you will know. You’re a couple of years younger than me, but you’re more thoughtful and intelligent than most people I know. (Gam-Gam is more intelligent, though…)  
  
** _

_**Now, before I write more cheesy stuff, I’ll just end this letter right here. I’m wondering if you will ever read it. Maybe we’ll forget about the Time Capsule. But if you don’t, I’ll assume we will still be, atleast, on speaking terms.  
  
** _

_**I’m probably just overthinking everything.  
  
** _

_**Love,  
(Y/N) from the past**   
  
_

_(Y/N) sighed, putting the pen down. She looked over at Jack, who was still writing his letter. When he was done, he put his pen and letter down, too. He looked over at (Y/N), smiling widely. (Y/N) gave him a slight smile, pulling him into a hug._   
  


“I don’t tend to remember stuff I’ve never encountered,” Jack said, making (Y/N)’s smile fall.  
  


“You-You’re telling me you don’t remember this? Nothing? You’ve got to remember something,” (Y/N) said, desperation leaking through her voice.  
  


“What part of me associates with a box of garbage?” Jack asked, shoving it, slightly. (Y/N) winced. _Box of garbage._  
  


“Then prove it,” (Y/N) said, suddenly. Jack looked at her with a questioning look. (Y/N) picked the letter she wrote out, and handed it to him. “Prove that you are not who I think you are. Read the letter, see if it triggers anything.”  
  


“No. I don-”  
  


“Why? Too afraid you’ll remember who you are?” (Y/N) asked, looking at him with a smirk.  
  


“This is j-”  
  


“I dare you,” (Y/N) said, before standing up and taking the letter addressed to her, along with the time capsule, leaving Jack alone in the interrogation room. She leaned her back against the wall, sitting down, as she opened the letter.  
  


**_To Future (Y/N),  
Hey! I don’t know what to write, but you are so passionate about this, so I’ll do it. I don’t know how old you are, reading this. I just hope you’re healthy, and happy. That probably sounds a little sloppy, but, I don’t really care all that much.  
  
_ **

**_I want you to know that you’re the most inspiring person I know. I’m so glad to have a friend like you. I think I can’t put that gratitude onto paper, but I promise you, I’ll show it, as much as I can. I know I might sound cheesy right now, but don’t tell anyone. I’m just speaking the truth. Or, ~~writting~~ writing, whatever. I’m actually really trying to stop myself from peaking a look into the letter you’re writing.  
  
_ **

**_I’m just so thankful of you for looking out for me. And just…thank you for being there when it mattered most to me. You’ll never know how much I admire your personality. Despite being a woman, you’ve always stood up for yourself, and I’m really proud of you.  
  
_ **

**_Anyways, I don’t know what else to ~~say~~ write. So, I suppose that’s a goodbye, for now.  
  
_ **

**_From Past Jack  
_ **

**_P.S: Your smile is adorable._ **   
  


(Y/N) let out a teary laugh at the last statement. This was the same man, cuffed to the interrogation room table. And she was going to get him back. She sighed, before standing up, and walking back into the interrogation room. The letter was sitting open, on the table.  
  


“I really-”  
  


“Did you read it?” (Y/N) asked.  
  


“I tried,” Jack said. “Your handwriting is too small.”  
  


“Of course it is,” (Y/N) snorted. “The better version of you would have found it illegible too.”  
  


“Quit calling him the better version of me,” Jack snapped. (Y/N) rolled her eyes. She put the letters back into the capsule, before walking out.  
  


Not noticing the ring that was left behind, tightly in Jack’s grasp.  
  


—  
  


(Y/N) braced herself for talking to him again, the same way she always did, whenever she did, before facing the man sitting in Jack’s body. She opened the door, and he looked up at her, as she stood opposite him, her arms crossed.  
  


“What do you say I read that letter to you?” she questioned, moving to stand beside him. He looked up at her with a glare. She contemplated her options, but before she could think about much, he kneed her, causing her to fall to the ground, doubled over, in pain. She managed to look up to see that he was free of his cuffs. She quickly stood up. He aimed for her right side, and she quickly slid left, which, apparently, was what he expected, because he already had a hand stretched forward, and before she could dodge, he had grabbed the gun from her holster.  
  


“Told you I’d escape,” he said, pointing his gun right at her. Her breathing quickened. He was going to do it. And this time, Daniel wasn’t behind the glass. She was about to die. And Jack Thompson was about to kill her. “I suppose you know what I’ll be doing now.”  
  


“I do,” (Y/N) said. Jack looked at her with a malicious smile. “How’d you uncuff yourself?”  
  


“You left the ring behind,” Jack said, smirking at (Y/N)’s wide-eyed look. “Shouldn’t have bought it in. Whose was it? I’m assuming the weaker me gave it to you?”  
  


“No,” (Y/N) squeaked out.  
  


“Well, that doesn’t matter,” Jack said. “Because I’ll kill you, and the weaker me, and any want for him will be dead.”  
  


“Jack,” (Y/N) sighed, a tear rolling down her cheek. She shut her eyes, before leaning in, to place a kiss on his lips. She kissed him with an intense passion, and anyone who saw her in that moment, would regard it as nothing less than 'A Last Kiss.’ She pulled away, and looked into his eyes, with her tear filled ones. “It’s alright. This isn’t you, okay? And when you wake up, I don’t want you to feel guilty at all. I love you, alright? You don’t know who I am, what my name is, but I still love you, and I’ll not stop loving you.”  
  


There was a pause, in which they both looked at each other, before he said one word, making (Y/N)’s insides flush with relief.  
  


_“(Y/N)?”_


	40. Back to Himself

“Jack?” (Y/N) let out a relieved laugh. “It’s you?”  
  


“Yeah,” Jack said, dropping the gun and pulling her into a hug, whispering into her hair. “Yeah. It’s me.”  
  


“Oh, thank god. I was so worried,” (Y/N) said, pulling away. She looked into his eyes, with a wide smile. He didn’t meet her eyes. “Jack?”  
  


“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice weak.  
  


“For what? You have nothing to apologize for,” (Y/N) said, placing a hand under his chin, and forcing him to look at her.  
  


“No-That’s what you say. But…I…Oh god,” Jack looked thoroughly horrified. “I-I threatened to kill you. I probably would have.”  
  


“No, Jack. It’s okay. You wouldn’t kill me. That wasn’t you,” (Y/N) said, a hint of desperation in her voice, as he looked away, his mind clearly elsewhere.  
  


“Your mother’s ring,” he said, suddenly, breaking away, and turning around. He kneeled down, to pick the ring back up. It was slightly deformed, from when he had used it to pick the handcuff lock. “Oh my god. I’m so sorry.”  
  


“Jack. Don’t be,” (Y/N) said. He shook his head, and placed the ring down on the table. He turned around, but refused to look up.  
  


“How can I even look you in the eye after what I did?”  
  


“Jack,” (Y/N) snapped, forcing him, once again, to meet her eyes. “Stuff it up, okay? You didn’t do anything wrong.”  
  


“But I-”  
  


“No if’s and but’s. I just got you back, and I really couldn’t care about anything else,” (Y/N) said, offering him an encouraging smile. He smiled slightly. (Y/N) pulled him into a kiss, and as she kissed him she could feel all the tension leaving his body. They broke away when they heard a cough. They both turned to the door, to see Peggy standing there, her arms crossed.  
  


“Is it safe to assume you’re back to your old self?” Peggy asked. Jack and (Y/N) quickly nodded. “Good. Because we have a case that won’t solve itself.”  
  


—  
  


“So,” Daniel began. “The question that has been bothering me is that where is Hugh Jones? And where has he been this past week, if we didn’t leave the SSR?”  
  


“Why wouldn’t he be wherever he used to be before he took hold of the SSR?” Samberly asked.  
  


“Because we know exactly where that is,” (Y/N) said, like it was obvious. And it was. “Isn’t that the initial reason he took the SSR?”  
  


“Oh?” Samberly seemed surprised.  
  


“Who even let him in here?” Jack asked, rolling his eyes at Samberly. “Don’t you have…like…science stuff to do?”  
  


“Yeah. Who let you in here?” Daniel asked.  
  


“Go out,” Dottie said. Samberly frowned, before walking out.  
  


“You all do tend to be slightly rude to Doctor Samberly,” Peggy said. (Y/N) hid her grin, unsure who to side with.  
  


“Back to our question,” Michael said.  
  


“Right. So any theories?” Daniel asked. (Y/N) leaned a little into Jack’s side. When she didn’t feel him shift, she looked up at him. He had a distant look on his face. (Y/N) sighed, knowing what he was thinking. Her hand found his, and she lightly squeezed it, causing him to snap out of it, and look back at Daniel.  
  


“Is that really a question?” Dottie asked. “Isn’t he rich? He would have a couple of places to lay low.”  
  


“He isn’t ‘Howard Stark’ type rich,” (Y/N) said.  
  


“What are we even trying to do?” Jack asked, out of the blue. “I mean…what…Do we even have a goal?”  
  


“Jack,” (Y/N) said, putting her arm forward, to stop him. “Don’t.”  
  


“Shouldn’t you be telling us this?” Dottie asked. “Whitney Frost didn’t tell you anything, before (Y/N) shot her pretty blonde head?”  
  


“Dottie, that’s not an option,” (Y/N) said, knowing that Jack was going to have issues with what Whitney had done, without Dottie butting in like that. She turned to Jack. “Jack, you don’t have to remember.”  
  


“No, she’s right,” Jack said. “I do.”  
  


“It could…help us,” Michael said, but shut up, when (Y/N) glared at him. “Sorry.”  
  


“We have one advantage,” Peggy said.  
  


“What is it?” (Y/N) asked.  
  


“We have our genius inventor. He doesn’t. Courtesy to you, (Y/N),” Peggy said.  
  


“Do we?” Daniel asked. “Do we have our genius inventor?”  
  


“Last I remember, he was at a 'Production Meeting’ with his 'Production Assistants,’” (Y/N) said.  
  


“Nonetheless,” Peggy said. “We’ll have his help.”  
  


“Unless he’s too-” Daniel’s statement was cut off by the ringing of the phone. Peggy walked to the table, and put the receiver to her ear.  
  


“Agent Carter,” Peggy said into the receiver. “Mister Jarvis…Yes, everything is alright…Agent Thompson is splendid and back to his old self.”  
  


“Chief Thompson,” Jack reminded.  
  


“I’m assuming you didn’t call to inquire about Agent Thompson’s well-being,” Peggy said, explicitly avoiding calling him 'Chief.’ “Yes…An outbreak? Mister Jarvis…We’ll look into it…Of course”  
  


“What is it?” (Y/N) asked, as soon as Peggy placed the receiver back down.  
  


“There’s been a prison outbreak,” Peggy said.  
  


“And that’s the SSR’s business since when?” Jack asked.  
  


“Since that prison has been housing International Criminals and Spies,” Peggy said, glaring at Jack.  
  


“…shit. This is bad,” Jack said.  
  


“How bad is it?” (Y/N) asked.  
  


“We’ll have to go in and check that out,” Peggy said.  
  


“Oh. Come on,” Daniel groaned. “One of us needs to stay behind to keep Underwood in check.”  
  


“Awww…I thought we were finally starting to get along,” Dottie said, with a smirk.  
  


“How about she comes too?” Peggy asked.  
  


“Yeah…I mean, if Dottie tries anything here, which I don’t think she will,” (Y/N) said. “Peggy will be the only one who can take care of her.”  
  


“Awww…I’m flaterred,” Dottie said. (Y/N) hid her grin.  
  


“And we need Peggy while examining the place,” (Y/N) added.  
  


“Fine,” Daniel sighed. “It’s getting a little late. We leave tomorrow morning.”  
  


—  
  


“You have something on your mind that you didn’t speak,” Jack observed, when they were both alone. (Y/N) sighed, and nodded. “Penny for your thoughts?”  
  


“What if it’s a diversion?” (Y/N) asked, vaguely.  
  


“Elaborate,” Jack said.  
  


“What if Hugh Jones was, somehow, responsible for the prison breakout?” (Y/N) asked. “What if that’s a diversion? If we all go in to examine, he takes this place back. If only the four of us go, we leave Rose and Samberly alone, and in risk. We can’t do that.”  
  


“What are you saying we do?” Jack asked.  
  


“I’m saying that you, Peggy and Daniel go in, examine the breakout. Dottie, Michael and I’ll keep the place secure,” (Y/N) suggested.  
  


“(Y/N),” Jack sighed. “If Dottie tries anything, you will not be able to stop her.”  
  


“I know,” (Y/N) said. “But I trust her.”  
  


“Oh, god. Why are we having this discussion again?”  
  


“She’s a good person, Jack. She’s just misled.”  
  


“(Y/N), she is a criminal.”  
  


“Because that’s what they made her to be,” (Y/N) said. “Think about it. This is how she was raised.”  
  


“(Y/N)…Can we just not discuss this? It always gets really ugly whenever we discuss Underwood.”  
  


“…It does,” (Y/N) chuckled.  
  


“I miss sleeping in an actual bed. Can we just go back to Stark’s place and lay down?”  
  


“Yeah. Of course,” Jack said. “But we’re still going through with my plan.”  
  


“Oh, for Christ’s sake.”  
  


—  
  


This was a weird occurrence between the couple. It was usually (Y/N) that had nightmares. So, sitting on the bed, her arms wrapped around a shaking Jack, was unusual. But she couldn’t blame him. He hadn’t had an ideal week.  
  


“Do you wanna talk about it?” (Y/N) asked.  
  


“It-It was about…everything I said to you,” Jack croaked out. “Oh god, that was…”  
  


“Jack…”  
  


“When Samberly took that device off, it was worse,” Jack confessed. “Because then, I didn’t want to do any of that. It was like I was yelling and screaming at myself to not do anything I was doing, and I…I just couldn’t control myself. I had no control…”  
  


“Jack, you really don’t have to tell me.”  
  


“No, I need to get this off my chest,” Jack said. “It was as if I was just there to watch.”  
  


“Oh, Jack.” (Y/N) could feel tears building up in her eyes, and her heart breaking for him. “It’s alright. It’s okay, now.”  
  


(Y/N) pulled him into her embrace.  
  


“You promise?”  
  


“Yes, Jack. I promise. No one’ll be hurting us now.”  
  


“I’m sorry for everything.”  
  


“No, Jack. Don’t apologize,” (Y/N) coaxed.  
  


“I love you. Just remember that, please.”  
  


“I know, Jack. I love you too.”  
  


—  
  


(Y/N) was now sitting, bored, at Daniel’s place in the office, in SSR L.A. Dottie was sitting opposite her, equally bored. Rose, Samberly and Michael were in the lab. Peggy, Daniel and Jack had gone to examine the breakout.  
  


“Tell me about yourself,” (Y/N) said, suddenly, causing Dottie to look up at her, surprised.  
  


“About myself?” Dottie asked, amused. “How do I know you’ll not use any information against me?”  
  


“You don’t,” (Y/N) said, smirking. Dottie shook her head.  
  


“There’s not much to say,” Dottie said.  
  


“Tell me about that school in Russia,” (Y/N) said, and Dottie’s expression darkened.  
  


“I was trained there,” Dottie said. “It’s called the Red Room. They train young girls to become deadly weapons. Orphaned girls. Girls with nothing. I was one. They take in a new wave, every couple year, and at the end of our training, there’s just one of us left.”  
  


“What happens to the others?” (Y/N) asked.  
  


“We kill each other.”  
  


“Oh, Dottie, I’m sorry,” (Y/N) said, with genuine remorse. “That’s a terrible way to grow up.”  
  


“I’m very used to it. All of this seems like a luxury.”  
  


“Dottie, have you ever had friends?”  
  


“Once. I had to kill her. I never made friends, again.”  
  


“Oh, goodness. That’s terrible,” (Y/N) said, placing her hand atop Dottie’s. “I can be your friend?”  
  


“Do you want to wind up dead?” Dottie joked. (Y/N) was about to reply, but was cut off by the ringing of the phone. She quickly picked it up.  
  


“Agent (L/N).”  
  


“(Y/N), where are you?”  
  


“Well, Jack, when you call the L.A. Chief’s desk phone, the person answering tends to be sitting at the L.A. Chief’s desk,” (Y/N) answered, earning a grin from Dottie.

“(Y/N), this is serious.”  
  


“What’s wrong?”  
  


“Only a couple of people managed to get out. I think…Fine, Marge thinks that it was mafia men.”  
  


“Mafia men? Manfredi is dead.”  
  


“So now they’re working for Hugh Jones. And seems like he only intended to break one person out. The others were just dumb luck.”  
  


“And who’s that one person?”  
  


“Johann Fenhoff.”


	41. Gam-Gam

“What? What’s happenned?” Dottie asked, noticing (Y/N)’s expression. (Y/N) didn’t say anything.  
  


“Jack…I don’t care what you’re doing. Just drop everything and get back here.”  
  


“Well, we don’t really have to do anything…so, yes, ma'am,” Jack said, and (Y/N) could practically hear his smirk, before the line went dead. (Y/N) placed the receiver down and sighed.  
  


“What’s wrong?” Dottie asked. (Y/N) contemplated whether or not to tell her, before deciding that she would find out, either way.  
  


“Just a few people escaped,” (Y/N) said. “Almost all of them are pretty…I wouldn’t say harmless, but the cops might be able to handle them.”  
  


“That’s not what made you go pale as a ghost,” Dottie said. “Almost all of them? Who wasn’t?”  
  


“Your old mind control pal,” (Y/N) said, making Dottie’s expression change into an unreadable one.  
  


“Doctor Fenhoff?” Dottie asked.  
  


“Uh-huh,” (Y/N) confirmed.  
  


“I feel like you’ve had enough of mind control,” Dottie said, diverting the conversation off of herself.  
  


“Yeah,” (Y/N) chuckled. “I think we’ll pay Stark a visit, once they get here.”  
  


—  
  


“So…you’re basically asking for an antidote to mind control?” Howard asked. “You do know how ridiculous that sounds.”  
  


“Whitney Frost can use science to control people’s minds, and you can’t use science to prevent it?” (Y/N) asked.  
  


“No, don’t you get it?” Howard asked, looking around the group, as if it was obvious. “I could have prevented it if it was some contraption. His mind control isn’t science…Atleast not something visibly scientific.”  
  


“…He can’t control me,” Dottie said, her voice uncharacteristically quiet. She’d been this way since she found out Fenhoff had escaped.  
  


“So, she does speak?” Jack said, in a sarcastic tone. (Y/N) glared at him.  
  


“And why not?” Peggy asked.  
  


“His ‘controlling’ is based on manipulation. He…He hypnotizes, and manipulates,” Dottie said. “When the mind is in a weak state, he can easily manipulate it.”  
  


“So we have to figure out how he 'weakens’ the mind,” Michael said.  
  


“I can’t do that unless I can test him. He needs to be here for that,” Howard informed.  
  


“Oh, aren’t you a delight?” Peggy snapped.  
  


“We’re not kidnapping him,” Daniel said.  
  


“Who’ll drive the getaway car?” (Y/N) asked.  
  


“We are not kidnapping him,” Jack snapped.  
  


“Why not?” Dottie asked. Jack and Daniel looked at each other.  
  


“You,” Jack said. “All three of you.”  
  


“Are huge inconveniences,” Daniel finished.  
  


“Right. Dottie,” (Y/N) called out, turning to Dottie. “Do you know any way we can fight him, without having him control us?”  
  


“You could send me,” Dottie said. “He can’t control-”  
  


“We’re not idiots, Underwood. The moment you meet your old buddy, you’ll be taking turns,” Jack snapped. (Y/N) looked at him. He looked back at her. Her eyes were slightly wide, and the corners of her mouth were slowly lifting into a smirk. He quickly realized his mistake. “Not that-I mean-I…But that doesn’t imply that you’re on our side. Of course, you’ll have to be loyal to us in the first place, if you take turns…I-(Y/N), would you stop looking at me like that?”  
  


“You said what you said.”  
  


—  
  


Just when (Y/N) thought the day couldn’t get any worse, she got that one dreaded phone call. When the phone at Daniel’s desk rung, she quickly went to pick it up.  
  


“(Y/N) (L/N),” she spoke.  
  


“(L/N), it’s Walter,” she heard.  
  


“Yes, Agent Walter?”  
  


“There’s a call, asking for you.”  
  


“Who’s it?”  
  


“Some John Thompson,” he said. “You think it might be for Chief?”  
  


“Tell him to call this number, please,” (Y/N) said. “I’ll talk to him.”  
  


“Fine,” Walter huffed. The line went dead, and for a few minutes, (Y/N) was left alone with her thoughts, and her mind raced with possibilities. What seemed like an eternity later, the phone rung again. She quickly picked it up.  
  


“(Y/N) (L/N),” she spoke.  
  


“(Y/N), it’s John,” she heard. He sounded particularly distressed, and (Y/N) wasn’t sure she wanted to know why.  
  


“John, what’s wrong?”  
  


“It’s…mother’s in…her condition’s worsening,” John said. (Y/N) shut her eyes. She’d hoped this wasn’t why he called her. “The doctors aren’t sure if she’ll pull through.”  
  


“Oh, god,” (Y/N) muttered.  
  


“Are you still in Los Angeles?” John asked.  
  


“Yeah.”  
  


“Is Jack there?” John asked. “I’ll tell him. Just get him on the line.  
  


"No, I’ll talk to him,” (Y/N) said.  
  


“(Y/N), I can’t ask you to do that again,” John said. “Please, just put him on the line.”  
  


(Y/N) sighed, before looking out, into the bullpen. Jack and Daniel were babbling to each other, about god knows what. (Y/N) tapped at the glass of the office window. They both turned to look at her. She motioned for Jack to come in, and he did.  
  


“What’s wrong?” Jack asked, taking note of her expression. (Y/N) wordlessly handed him the receiver. He took it, with a questioning look.  
  


'Gam-Gam,’ (Y/N) mouthed, but she wasn’t sure whether he understood. He tentatively placed the receiver on his ear. (Y/N) heard John say something from the other end.  
  


“Dad?” Jack was probably very confused. She could hear John say something, incoherent to her, and bit her lip, as she watched Jack’s expression change with every word. She shut her eyes, a stray tear rolling down. She opened her eyes, and Jack stood, staring at the wall, just ahead.  
  


“Jack,” (Y/N) called out.  
  


“Alright, Dad, we’ll be there,” he said, and it was evident that his voice was on the verge of breaking. He put the receiver down, still standing in the same spot, frozen. (Y/N) drew the blinds behind her, before turning to Jack. She placed a careful hand at his shoulder. The reaction she received was the antithesis of what she expected. Jack’s stature wavered, and he quickly seated himself in Daniel’s chair. (Y/N) kneeled down, infront of him, and she could see that he was trying everything not to burst into sobs, then and there. She placed a hand on his arm, and another cupped his jaw.  
  


“Jack, it’s alright, if you wanna cry,” she said, carefully. He shook his head, looking away, refusing to cry. (Y/N) moved her hand to his chin, and prompted him to look at her.  
  


“We should leave now,” Jack said, getting up. (boiii, you repressing the fuck outta this; I get it). (Y/N) looked at him with a pitiful look.  
  


“Maybe we can ask Howard to lend us one of his private jets,” (Y/N) suggested. Jack was obviously against the idea, but nodded, nonetheless.  
  


“Fine.”  
  


(Y/N) looked at him walk out, with unshed tears.  
  


—  
  


The usual five hour flight from L.A. to DC (I think??? Not sure; never been to the US) was cut much shorter by Howard’s private jet. Peggy had insisted that Jarvis tag along with them.  
  


So, here they were, with Jack bursting into the hospital, followed by (Y/N), with Jarvis trailing behind the two. They saw John and Giana standing right outside Gam-Gam’s room. They both quickly rushed to their sides. (Y/N) stood slightly away, as she saw doctors and nurses, running in and out of the hospital room. She wasn’t a doctor, but she could see that they were making no progress. The four of them stood there for about twenty-five minutes, while doctors rushed in and out of the room. Jarvis was standing at the end of the hallway, thoroughly looking like he didn’t belong. Then, slowly, the doctors and nurses exited the room, and the final doctor who remained, walked out, towards the four.  
  


“We…have done what we can,” he said. “If…you’d like to talk to her…you can.”  
  


“What do you mean 'if you’d like to talk to her?’ Can’t you try something?” (Y/N) asked.  
  


“What do you think we’ve been doing?” the doctor snapped. (Y/N) rolled her eyes. John placed a hand on her upper-arm, motioning for her to stop.  
  


“Wh-”  
  


“If there’s a slight scope of improvement, trust me on this, don’t pull the plug,” the doctor said. “But if there isn’t-”  
  


“Yeah, we get it,” (Y/N) snapped, as she saw Jack’s expression.  
  


“Jack,” Giana prompted. Jack looked down, before walking into the hospital room. (Y/N) saw Jack speaking to Gam-Gam, through the window. She let out a soft whimper. John wrapped an arm around her, as she began crying.  
  


Jack sat in the hospital room, talking to Gam-Gam, for a while, but didn’t shed a tear. He wasn’t going to let Gam-Gam’s last memory of his be a sobbing mess. His hand had a tight hold on Gam-Gam’s. Gam-Gam weakly told him to take care of his parents, and (Y/N). Jack just sat there, numb, as Gam-Gam told him about how much she loved him, and how proud she was. And even as she flatlined, Jack sat there, with a firm grip on her hand. He was vaguely aware of a nurse coming into the room, and vaguely aware of (Y/N) coming up behind him, slightly sniffling, but trying to comfort him, nonetheless. Why was she trying to comfort him? He wasn’t crying. She was the one that needed comforting? She was a hint away from hysterical. Why was the nurse looking at him with a pitiful look? The nurse covered Gam-Gam’s face with the hospital sheet, and for some reason, Jack wasn’t able to protest. He didn’t have the energy. Why was he so drained? He hadn’t even shed a single tear.  
  


When (Y/N) finally managed to pull him away, and the nurse and two ward boys had took Gam-Gam away, (Y/N), Jack, John and Giana were the only ones left in the room. (Y/N) finally pulled him into a comforting embrace, and he felt the first tear, of what he knew would inevitably be one of his worst and most exhausting breakdowns, roll down his cheek.


End file.
